


The Deep, the Dark, the Dangerous

by orphan_account



Category: Actor RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Sex, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, M/M, Marathon Sex, Mermaids, Shapeshifting, but i don't?, by weird unusual things i mean dicks, can't forget that tag, i feel like i should regret some things, more details inside, weird unusual things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-20 12:40:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 38,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4787600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the sea has a claim on you, there is no escape. Chris had been taught to fear the water that surrounded him, but sometimes the temptation is much too good to ignore.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Deep, the Dark, the Dangerous

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This fic took me a bit longer to finish than I thought, but HUZZAH! It is finished. I hope you guys enjoy this one.
> 
> A word of warning. There is an attempted rape/non-con/dub-con scene near the beginning of this story, but it isn't graphic and there's only one.

Sea creatures such as Merfolk, Sirens, and Selkies were always regarded as possessive, jealous beasts with a habit of hooking up with mortals and taking what they wanted before they got bored and moved onto something else. Merfolk were especially notorious for being handsy and possessive assholes. It was one of the first life lessons Chris had been taught at a young age.

“You stay away from the Bay now, Christopher,” she said. “There’s a reason why we don’t go to the Bay anymore. And if you see something in the water that’s not familiar, you run from it. Understand?”

“Yes, mom.”

The Bay in question was called Downfall Bay and was a notorious place for Merfolk gatherings. The reason why was because there was a small river leading to the Bay from a freshwater lake where they gave birth and whelped their children in peace and calm. Merfolk were nasty and violent beasts, so no human would ever try to stop a Mer from doing what it wanted and going where it pleased.

The Bay was close to Chris’s seaside village where he spent most of his days working. Gutting fish, actually. It was a small village where everyone new everyone and the closest town was three hours away by car (the only car being owned by the resident doctor in case of emergencies). People here grew up for only one purpose and that was to catch fish and other sea life and clean it up for it to be taken out to the cities and the people who paid well for it. Chris, like most kids, was homeschooled until he was ten and then went straight to work with the other kids, adults, and elders.

Hours were long and the smell of fish and their guts under the sun would forever be imprinted on Chris’s skin. But the water was always cool and the treasures he found on the ocean floor always fascinated him.

Swimming in Merfolk infested water was never a problem. Attracting their attention was. With fishing as the village’s main source of income, appeasing their seaside neighbours was a must. Merfolk were often interested in things that shimmered and showed their reflection, vain creatures that they were. So every night along the docks, strings of metallic objects and things that shined and sparkled was dropped into the water, hanging from the dock planks. They would be gone come morning and the village fishers would be safe.

Chris’s mother was often in charge of setting the strings at night and she showed him how to tie them and what to choose.

“They like pieces of coloured glass,” she said, working to tie the string around a piece of glass to make sure it didn’t drift to the seabed. “Pieces of mirrors work the best, but we rarely get those out here. Old silverware works well, too. You just have to polish it up a bit before you set it on the string.”

Chris nodded and tied some forks to his own string before setting it in the water and tying it to the plank. Most of the stuff they used to appease the sea creatures was delivered via recycling trucks. They sorted through the refuse and delivered what the villagers needed to keep fishing safely.

Existence was a dull and meaningless thing to Chris. His hands were permanently rough and scarred from the work. His skin was often dry and chafing from the sun and salt water. And his mother would never stop telling him about the dangers of the water surrounding them.

See, Chris’s mother was a widow. At least, that’s what she told Chris whenever he asked about his father.

“He was a lovely man,” she would say, eyes looking in the distance with a small, sad smile on her face. “You have his eyes. But he was taken by the sea before you were even born. Never came back.”

The topic of Chris’s father was always short and brisk with a tinge of longing, but his mother was always sure to change the subject and get Chris busy so he wouldn’t have time to ask any questions.

“Make sure you shutter the windows tonight,” she said. “There’s a storm coming.”

“Yes, mom.”

So this was Chris’s life and there wasn’t much to brag about. He tied the strings at night and gutted fish during the day. He listened to his mother and obeyed her every demand, steering clear of the water at night and the Bay altogether.

He wished he had some meaning to his life; something he could be proud of. But his only purpose in life was to fish and keep the city people happy. He was born for this and he realized that there would be nothing else for him. And that’s how he lived until the summer he turned sixteen.

That summer he met Tom.

* * *

He went to the Bay. Like his mother told him not to. He was bored one day, and he had an itch to see something other than the docks and his village.

It was one of the few days off that he had during the year, so he snuck off early in the morning before his mother would make him do something to keep him from being idle.

The Bay was a twenty minute walk from the village. It involved climbing over a rocky ridge and some dunes before getting down to the shoreline. It was the first time Chris had actually seen the Bay, and now he understood why people avoided it.

The water was so blue and so clear that it couldn’t possibly be real. The sand was so fine and so white that it burned his eyes. It was so beautiful that it couldn’t be true. There had to be a dark side to the Bay. After all those stories he’d heard as a kid? The drowning and the kidnappings and the violence? Were they fact or fiction? The more Chris looked at the water and felt the wind in his hair, the less he believed them to be true.

He took off at a run and kicked off his shoes and tossed off his shirt. He dove into the water and swam underneath the crest. He breached the surface and planted his feet on the silty bottom. He took a deep breath of air and rocked back and forth on his feet as the waves cut around him. He wiped the water off his face and smoothed back his hair. He looked around the Bay and liked the fact that he was alone. There was no one around for miles other than his village, but none of his neighbours would ever come here. They were too superstitious, and for once Chris enjoyed that fact. Here he could be alone and enjoy it. Stories be damned.

He returned to the Bay on several occasions, usually leaving early in the morning and returning before noon before anyone became suspicious about his whereabouts. Sometimes he brought his surfboard to have some fun. The waves in the Bay were better than the ones that came to his stretch of the beach. Sometimes he didn’t swim and combed the beach, discovering a lot of shiny trinkets washed about the shore line from the tide. He collected them all and brought them back so they could be tied onto the strings. He visited the tide pools like he did when he was a kid and slept on the sand under the sun. He swam often, letting the waves crash into him and drag him under. He’d never felt more alive then, in the Bay. It was his secret, and he liked it that way. It was just him and the waves and the sun.

At least, he thought so.

He breached the water one day, having swum further out into the Bay than he’d ever dared. Then he saw it. A person bobbing in the waves not too far from him. He couldn’t make out the face of the person in clear detail, but he knew immediately that this was not good.

The stories came rushing back to him. Of sailors getting tangled in their nets and dragged into the depths. Of fishers diving into the water to chase after a mesmerizing sea beast. Chris remembered with cold dread that he was in a notorious Merfolk stalking ground. He should not be here.

When the figures disappeared beneath the water, Chris turned and swam for the beach. His heart beat rapidly in his chest, panic causing him to flounder and sputter water. When he felt the soggy ground beneath him, he scrambled for purchase. He was close, so close to getting onto the beach and getting out of here. But something slimy grabbed his ankle and pulled. He was yanked into the water, flailing his arms to get away.

The hand, for he was certain it was a hand, travelled up his leg and to his arm. He struggled and kicked, lungs beginning to burn from the lack of air. He was pushed back up onto the beach until his head was out and he could breathe.

Weak from the struggle, Chris’s attacker lay heavily on top of him. Chris blinked the water from his eyes and looked up. It was a Mer. He had short golden hair that curled, eyes the colour of rough seas, and slightly jagged teeth when he smiled down at Chris. He hands on Chris’s arms tightened their grip.

“What do we have here?” the Mer said.

Chris struggled as the Mer leaned down, their faces just scant inches apart.

“You are trespassing, human. And the punishment for that is high indeed.”

With his arms pinned down and therefore useless to him, Chris kicked out with his legs. He thrashed and struggled, heart in his throat as he tried to get away from the Mer. This only seemed to entertain the Mer, who then held Chris’s head underneath the waves until he calmed down.

Once he was yanked out, he coughed up some water, energy now wasted. A heavy weight settled in his chest, and he felt the pressure of tears build up behind his eyes. All he could think about was how he should’ve listened to his mother stayed away from the Bay entirely. Now he was stuck in the surf with a Mer on top of his chest and the sense that he was going to die.

He didn’t know what the Mer was going to do to him. The stories usually said that Merfolk and other sea beasts would eat humans or play with them for sport until there was nothing left but a mangled corpse that would be drawn up in fishing nets or by the coast guard. He was going to die here. Sixteen years old without anything he could be proud of. With no memories he could look back on and be fond of in his last moments. He was going to die and that would be that.

He wasn’t sure if he felt water or tears sliding down the sides of his face. At this point it didn’t really matter. He thought it would just make him even more pathetic in the Mer’s eyes.

“I do love a human with fight in them,” the Mer said. “It shows they have spirit.”

The bruising grip on his arms relaxed a bit only for the Mer’s hands to drift across his shoulders and to his chest. The hands had the typical webbing between each finger up to the second knuckle. The nails were long and scraped along Chris’s skin, causing him to breakout in gooseflesh.

“I make it a point to know my newest acquisition’s name,” the Mer said, letting his thumb brush against Chris’s lips. “It is a human practice to introduce one’s self, is it not? Let’s hear it.”

If he played along with the Mer’s demands, maybe he would live longer.

“Chr-Chris,” he said.

The Mer smiled. “Is it short for Christopher? Humans often do that, do they not? Have second names that are shorter?”

Chris nodded shakily.

“I’ve decided that my name is Tom. Short for Thomas.” It was commonly known that Merfolk didn’t have names and if they did, they usually picked it up in passing from hearing humans talk.

“I’ve been watching you, Christopher,” the Mer—Tom—said. “There were others that wanted you. That wanted to play with you when you first set foot in the water. But I kept them away from you. When I first saw you, I knew that I wanted you. I want to consume you, to possess you. You are going to be mine and mine alone. Do you understand?”

Chris didn’t but felt too scared to ask for clarification.

Without warning, Tom opened his mouth and bit down on Chris’s forearm, holding it tightly as Chris cried out at the sudden pain. The Mer pulled back and bit his thumb, causing a bead a blood to swell up from the cut. He pressed his thumb to the bite and mixed their blood together. Then he dipped his head and sealed his mouth over the bite, pressing the rough, flat top of his tongue over the wound. It stung, and Chris struggled a bit at the pain.

Tom pulled back and licked his lips. “You taste as sweet as you look, Christopher. I’m going to enjoy this.”

Tom forced Chris’s legs apart to settle between them. With his sharp nails, he clawed at Chris’s swimming trunks and tore them off, not caring for the rips he caused. Chris’s struggles began anew. He felt even more exposed now.

Tom shifted above him and grinded down on Chris. The rubbing was strange, and the sounds Tom made were concerning. They were gasps and moans, and his hands continued to roam over Chris’s body, circling his nipples and scratching at his skin. Something touched his thigh, and Chris jumped. He dared to look down and saw the tip of what looked like a tentacle. When the water receded, he realized with embarrassment that it was Tom’s cock having emerged from its sheath.

It was long and _wrong_ looking. It wasn’t like a human cock. It was much longer for one thing and twisted and curled toward Chris. It was thick at the base and narrow at the top. It was a pale pink colour similar to that of a human cock, but stood out starkly from the blood red of Tom’s tail. Then Tom surged forward, and Chris felt Tom’s cock brush up against his ass, twisting and reaching to breach him.

Chris stopped breathing and a rush of adrenaline flooded his body. There were a few stories he’d heard of, but those types of stories were mostly never talked about mostly for the obscene and vulgar nature they were about. And now Chris was experiencing one of those stories. He would be speared open by Tom’s cock and left here on the beach afterwards like a piece of refuse.

“No, no, no, no, no.” The tears started up again, and Chris continued his mantra of cries and pleas to get Tom away from him. To get him to stop doing what he was about to do. He didn’t want this, but Tom was much stronger than him, and what Merfolk wanted, they usually got.

“Please don’t,” Chris said, voice cracking as Tom continued to move above him. He waited for the pain of the initial breach, closing his eyes as he tensed and waited, but nothing happened. He heard Tom groan in displeasure.

“Look at me, Christopher,” he said.

Chris felt compelled to open his eyes. His chest shook with sobs and he shivered as the waves continued to splash around them.

Whatever Tom saw in him, he clearly didn’t like, for he rolled his eyes and his face scrunched up in disgust.

“What a mood killer,” he said, clearly displeased by the pathetic sight of Chris beneath him.

And that was it. There was no more probing or grinding. Tom simply slipped away with the waves and went back into the water without another word. Chris was left in shock for a moment after what happened. When the shock wore off, he burst into action and scrambled out of the water as fast as he could, collapsing onto the sand as soon as he was far enough away.

When he regained his breath, Chris took the time to control his shaking and gain his bearings. The whole experience, however brief it was, shook him to his core. He looked at the bite on his arm and saw that the teeth marks had already scabbed over and closed. Blood had been smeared over his arm, but he knew that it would scar visibly. He couldn’t help but wonder why Tom bit him. Was it a Mer custom to bite the one they intended to have sex with? Somehow Chris thought that there was more to it than that.

After he felt calmer, he stood up and went to retrieve his ruined swimming trunks. They were useless now, ripped in the front at the crotch. He took his towel and wrapped it around his waist. He pulled on his shirt and took his things and left the Bay as quickly as he dared.

He made it home in record time and shut himself away in the bathroom. He ran his arm under warm water and cleared away the dried blood. Not taking any chances, he cleaned the wound with iodine and wrapped it up in waterproof tape and gauze. He rinsed himself quickly in the shower and returned to his room where he collapsed face first onto the bed and remained there until his mother called him for lunch.

Of course she noticed the bandage on his arm.

“Scraped my arm on a rock,” he said.

“Here let me see it.” She reached for his arm, but he pulled away.

“It’s fine. Just a scrape.”

She pulled her hands away and sat back in her seat. “All right. If you say so.”

The matter was dropped entirely, and for that Chris was grateful. He didn’t know what he would do if his mother discovered his trips to the Bay. And, even worse, if she saw the bite.

* * *

He didn’t go back to Downfall Bay. Not for months. He put the entire experience out of his mind and tried to carry on. The only reminder he had was the scar: faint, silver lines on his forearm. Luckily, they were barely noticeable, so he didn’t have to explain them all that often.

The off season came up on them with long, rainy days and a cold wind. The fish would migrate away from their village, and many people would close up shop for the two months of no work. It was during this time that the people would work on repairing the boats, the docks, the nets, and their own houses. There was always something to fix, and Chris was kept busy, allowing him no time to go off and wander like he used to.

With it just being the two of them at home, there was a lot to do on Chris’s house. Evelynn wanted the roof to be re-shingled and the leaks to be fixed. She was tired of setting out pots and pans to catch the drips whenever it rained which was often and a lot. A woman named Sheila from the village promised to show Chris how to re-shingle a roof and help fix the leaks if he helped her fix her boat engine in return. Evelynn agreed on behalf of Chris, and Chris obeyed as he normally did. It wasn’t like he had anything else to do.

They started with the shingles, and slowly Chris picked up the skill and was able to do everything on his own. Sheila only showed him a few times how to place them properly and then nail them down. As they worked to strip off the old shingles, they found the rotted planks underneath and replaced them to prevent anymore leaks. Over time the roof began to look more like a proper roof, and Evelynn was happy that they would be safe for the rest of the season. Safe and dry.

Once the roof was done, Chris was sent off by his mother to help Sheila with her own repairs. When Chris was younger, he was often watched over by the retired elders, some of whom were boat mechanics. They fiddled in their spare time, and Chris helped out where he could, picking up useful skills as he grew up.

Sheila’s boat was meant for longer trips, built with a kitchenette and sleeping quarters for several people. The only thing that needed to be done to the engine was a general cleaning and inspection.

“I would do it myself,” Sheila said as Chris set to work on it. “But I have to do paperwork and pay my crew, which takes quite a while since I let it stack up over the fishing season. All right, so if you need me I’ll be in my office. Thank you so much for helping.”

Chris smiled. “Yeah. No problem.”

Working on Sheila’s boat took about two weeks. He went to her boat every morning after breakfast and often didn’t return home until after dinner. The work kept him busy and, more importantly, his mind away from other troubling matters.

Sheila was a great person to work with. She was twenty-five and ambitious, already owning her own fishing boat and managing to create a life for herself. She had short, brown hair because she said long hair was a nuisance to her. She was short but she was built solid and strong after years of hard labour. She had full lips and brown eyes and a laugh Chris always listened for. She usually wore loose, worn t-shirts stained with grease and jeans or cut off jean shorts. Something that was always constant about her was her steel-toed work boots, which she never traded out for.

“Can’t be too careful about shoes,” she said, lacing up her boots. “Nearly lost my foot several times, so I’m not taking any chances.”

Chris liked Sheila very much. He didn’t have many friends in the village. Some of the young people went off to study in the cities for higher learning. Others left to different villages for different jobs in the fishing industry. And Chris never had the time for friends as he worked constantly and his mother liked knowing where he was. But Sheila was one of their neighbours and she always had work for Chris if he ever had a moment, so he saw her often in the future and enjoyed her company. She didn’t see him as a clumsy, rambunctious teenager or someone who needed to be protected and kept out of trouble. She saw him as Chris. Someone who wanted meaning in his life and be able to learn and experience new things. He enjoyed Sheila’s company and found himself to be a bit smitten by her.

He was turning seventeen in three months and was starting to grow into his body. He developed muscle along his shoulders and arms. His voice was deepening and cracked less and less. He began to attract the attention of the teenage girls in the village, but often left quickly—face red with embarrassment—after they looked at him and giggled as he walked past. He was not the most social of people and felt rather awkward when people approached him with something other than a job offer.

But when he was with Sheila, he didn’t feel awkward or shy. He felt good about himself whenever he was around her. He basked in her presence and bantered with her while they were working. It was playful and it was fun. Secretly, Chris hoped that it would develop into something else; that Sheila would see him as a mature, young man and a possible . . . something. But in reality, he was still considered a kid and she was eight, nearly nine years older than him. It might not work out.

But one day while they fixed fishing lines, Sheila came over and draped herself over top of Chris’s back, complaining and groaning about how tedious the work was.

“How can you do such fine work with such big hands?” she asked, reaching around him to inspect his hands. “Honestly, I’d never peg you to be so patient and careful.”

“Patience is what I was taught when I was very small.”

“Smaller than you are now?” she said playfully.

“I’m not _that_ young,” he replied.

“To me you are.”

“I don’t have to be. Not if we don’t think about it.”

He wasn’t entirely sure where this conversation was going, but he felt Sheila settle behind him, letting go of his hands and resting them on his shoulders.

“I’m too much for you to handle, kid. Try again some other time.” She patted his back and walked off to her office, leaving Chris to stew in his thoughts and wonder about what he wanted.

At the end of the day, Sheila came to him with a deal.

“When the fishing season starts up, why don’t you come out with me on a few trips,” she said. “I could use the help.”

It was the first time someone had offered to take him out on trip out to sea. He nodded eagerly. “That sounds great. I’d love to.”

“Perfect! I’ll get the paperwork set up and then I’ll contact you when we head out. Sound like a plan?”

“Yeah! Absolutely.”

“Great. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

When Chris returned home, he was all smiles when he told his mother about what Sheila said.

“She’s offering me a place on her boat,” he said, following Evelynn into the kitchen. “I can work with her during the season.” He thought his mother would be proud of him. People his age always started looking for work on fishing boats and trawlers as a better means of employment. It meant more experience and better opportunities. But it seemed like Evelynn didn’t share her son’s enthusiasm.

She sat down at the small, round kitchen table and raised a hand to her mouth. “I don’t know, Christopher. Working on boats like Sheila’s is very dangerous.” It was true. The village often lost at least one or two people per season due to sudden storms or drowning. Losing fingers and appendages was also another common mishap out on the ocean, and the nearest hospital was a far ways away.

“I know that,” Chris insisted. “I know all about the dangers that come with fishing on boats and being out on the water for days at a time, but I really want to do this. I really do. And when will I get another opportunity like this with someone we both know and trust? Sheila knows what she’s doing. She can take care of me. And I can take care of myself. Please, mom? Can I go?”

Evelynn looked at him and she tilted her head to the side, releasing a soft sigh and dropping her hand to her chest. “My baby’s growing up. Come here, sweetheart.”

Chris knelt down beside her on the floor and fell into her arms.

“Of course you can go,” she said. “You don’t need my permission. I knew this day would come when you would go out and try to find your calling. I guess I just wanted to stall it for a while.”

“I’ll take every precaution,” he said. “I’ll be really careful.”

Evelynn laughed and kissed his head. “I know you will. Now, let’s get dinner going. Those oysters aren’t going to shuck themselves.”

…

With the temperatures rising and the storms blowing away, the fishers of Chris’s village readied their nets for the returning schools of fish. The people were in preparation mode, and nothing could go wrong. The nets were fixed and put on the boats. The bait was stored. The engines were fine tuned. And the lines that hung from the docks were decked out with the shiniest pieces of metal and glass to ensure proper safety. Everything was set to go, and people were once again happy that their work could resume. Life was hard for a village like theirs, harder still when there was no income.

Chris was ready to leave with Sheila and her crew in a week. His mother spared no expense and made sure he had all the proper gear with him: proper rubber boots, overalls, thick gloves, and a rain coat.

“I don’t want you catching pneumonia while you’re out there with no doctor,” Evelynn said.

“I’ll be fine, mom. Besides, I’ve met the crew. One of them has first aid training. He’ll know what to do if something goes wrong.”

“You better pray it doesn’t, or I will—”

“I know, I know. You won’t let me go out with them next time. I can take care of myself. Trust me.”

Evelynn sat down beside him on his bed and wrapped her arm around him. “I know you can. I just worry.”

“I know you do. I promise I’ll be careful.”

She kissed his cheek and cupped his face. “You’re a smart boy, and I do trust you. Very much. I’m just going to give you a little advice to make me sleep better at night. Before you settle down for the night, I want you to take a piece of string and tie a piece of silverware or glass to it. Sea creatures often stalk boats for an easy meal. If you do this, it might just give you an extra bit of protection. My father did this when he went out and so did my mother and they came back safely every time. Can you do that for me, Christopher?”

Chris nodded. “I will, mom.”

“Good boy.”

* * *

Two days before he left, Chris woke up one morning, his arm burning and head throbbing. He sat up in bed, kicking off his blankets. He smoothed his hand down his arm, scratching at the scar on his forearm. The scar had been nothing but faint silver lines for months. And now, in the faint early morning light he saw that they were now a purple red colour. It burned and itched like a sunburn upon a sunburn. And then there was the matter of the headache, a great pressure just behind his eyes that felt like it would burst from his temples. He didn’t know what it could be. It could just be a migraine. A very severe migraine. Or it could be—

_Chris_

Shit. Now he was hearing voices. This was not good. Maybe he had sunsickness or ate some bad fish. Maybe he—

_Come to me, Christopher_

Nope. That was definitely a voice inside his head. And it sounded vaguely familiar.

_Come to the Bay. I want to see you again_

Before he knew it, Chris was stumbling out of his room and out of the house. The throbbing in his head lessened the closer he got to the Bay. The sun wasn’t even up yet. The sky was still mostly indigo with the pinkish-orange hue of early morning. It would be beautiful if Chris weren’t being pulled by an invisible line towards the Bay.

_Come to the cliffs. There’s a shallow pool there. Come to me_

Chris wandered past the beach where he would swim, the water calmer now during the early morning. The cliffs on the other side of the bay were a common nesting ground for seagulls. Chris had never gone that far before. The rocks were rough and pockmarked and scraped Chris’s feet and hands. He climbed over the ridges and found himself staring down at a pool of water like a giant tide pool. In it sat a familiar Mer.

Tom looked very much the same as he did nearly a year ago. He didn’t seem as violent or terrifying as last time. He was lounging against one edge of the pool with a burlap sack in his lap. He seemed to fiddling with strings of decorative jewelry. Pearls, shells, and shiny pieces of metal. He looked up when Chris stood on the opposite edge of the pool. His face broke out into the same predatory grin.

“Christopher,” he said. “How wonderful it is to see you again. Come. Come here and join me. I want to see you closer.”

Feeling compelled to obey him, Chris entered the pool and waded towards him. He sat on the edge beside Tom, but maintaining distance between them. He didn’t want a repeat of last time.

Tom set aside his work and shifted closer to Chris. Chris tried to move away, but Tom clucked at him and took him by the arms to keep him still.

“Let me look at you,” Tom said. He swept his hands up Chris’s arms, squeezing the muscle of his biceps to which he made an appreciative noise. He cupped Chris’s chin to keep his head still. “My, how you’ve grown since I’ve seen you last. A fine young man you’ll become for certain.” His thumb brushed over Chris’s lips, and Chris shuddered. “And, more importantly, you’re all mine.”

Chris wrenched his head from Tom’s gasp and stood up in the pool. “What the hell was that?!” he shouted, shoving his scarred arm into the Mer’s face. “What did you do to me?”

Tom, unimpressed with Chris’s outburst, folded his hands behind his head and flicked his tail at Chris. “I claimed you, darling. You didn’t think that I was going to leave you forever, did you? No, no. I take what I like and I make sure to make it mine, to ward off others who might steal you right from under my nose. You should be grateful, Christopher,” he retorted, pointed a long nailed finger in his direction. “There were others of my kin looking at you. They would have torn you apart had I not intervened.”

“So this mark,” Chris said, rubbing his hand over the teeth shaped scars.

“Is my claim on you,” Tom explained. “I mixed our blood, and now you will respond to me whenever I wish to see you.”

Chris’s head was buzzing. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was bound to a Mer? How could this happen? Humans and the sea creatures lived in different environments for a reason. They were too different from each other. Sea creatures were more beast like, having baser and less complex instincts than humans. Humans were more empathetic towards each other, relying on each other in the worst of times. Sea creatures were often solitary in nature, only coming together to hunt or mate. Chris had never heard of stories where sea creatures claimed humans. Usually the stories were full of death and gore.

“Why did you do this to me?” Chris asked quietly, coming to sit down away from Tom.

“I already told you. I liked you. I wanted you. The others would have used you wrong. They wouldn’t have taken the time to appreciate you like I will. I know now that I was hasty with you last time. You were just so beautiful and full of spirit that I wanted to have you, all of you right then and there. But I know now that humans are often prudish when it comes to matters of sex. I thought that if I left you for a while, you would grow and learn and we could put behind us the awful experience last time.” Tom dropped his hands and shifted to sit next to Chris. “What do you say, Christopher? Would you like to try again?” Tom set his hand on Chris’s thigh and stroked beneath the hem of his pant leg. Chris pushed him back and stood up once more.

“What makes you think I want to have sex with you?” he asked. “First, you nearly drown me. Twice. Second, you nearly rape me. And third, you fucking claimed me as your own without even asking me if I wanted to be claimed. Not once have you considered what I wanted. We barely know each other and we are from two different species. I want nothing to do with you.”

Tom was taken aback, mouth open and gills flared in indignation. Chris turned to get out of the pool and head back home.

“ _Sit down_.”

Chris was pulled down into the pool against his will.

“I have never had a _human_ talk to me in such a manner,” Tom said, stalking forward and placing himself over Chris, boxing him in with his arms. “You are an ungrateful and selfish brat who would’ve died in a painful manner if it hadn’t been for me. Now, I have been kind to you. I have given you time and space to clear your head when I easily could’ve taken you on that beach. But I didn’t because I saw that you weren’t ready and that you would’ve been hurt by it. Now I take care of my things, so I would expect some _fucking_ gratitude, or I will cut out your tongue and give it to the sharks. I see now that you have a lot of growing up to do before I will ever consider sticking my cock inside of you.” Tom pushed away and went back to his things. “Now go get me something to eat. I’m starving.”

Chris didn’t move and clenched his jaw.

“Now, Christopher,” Tom ordered. “Or do I have to compel you to do it?”

Either way, Chris would have to get Tom food sooner or later. And he’d rather do it compulsion free. So he stood up and climbed out of the pool in search of something edible.

He had no tools to fish, so he looked for groupings of shellfish. After clinging to the cliff side, he found some mussels and pried them loose from the rocks they were clinging upon. He used his shirt to carry them and went back to the pool where Tom was waiting. Tom took his bundle and set it in his lap, retrieving a small blade from his sack. He pried open the mussel shells and dug out the meat, eagerly slurping down what he could get.

“Can I go now?” Chris asked.

“No,” Tom said, not looking up from as he broke open another mussel.

Chris grumbled and shuffled his feet on the water before he pulled himself out of the pool and sat on the lip of the pool, his back turned to Tom.

The sun was slowly making its ascent into the sky, banishing the indigos of the night and turning the sky into a pale blue. Chris’s mother would be waking up now. She would probably be wondering where Chris was off to this early in the morning. He could say he was with Sheila doing final equipment checks. That might work.

“Do you always mope?” Tom asked, prompting Chris to twist around to look around at him. “Or is this just something humans do at your age?”

“You won’t let me go home. Why do you think I’m sulking?”

“Why can’t you just accept the fact that you are mine now?” Tom retorted. “It doesn’t have to be such a horrible thing if you don’t want it to be. I have had many human lovers before, and they quite enjoyed themselves when I called on them.”

“Oh, and hearing of your past escapades _really_ makes me feel good about this entire thing. Not like you’ll fuck someone else behind my back while I’m still ‘yours.’”

Tom didn’t reply and popped open another mussel. Chris turned away.

“You’re angry,” Tom said after Chris had calmed.

Chris picked at his nails. “Of course I’m angry. You ruined my life.”

“You don’t have to see it that way,” Tom replied softly. “This connection between us can be something beautiful and pleasurable for the both of us if you would just believe me. Yes, I have had many affairs with other humans, but I will abstain from doing so if it would make you feel more comfortable. I really do mean it when I say I like you, Christopher. I want you deeply, and I would never hurt you.”

There was a soft touch at his back, and Chris looked to see that Tom had come closer to him. The Mer looked so sincere. His expression was open and kind, letting Chris see that this was no lie. This was the truth. Tom, for whatever reason, liked Chris and wanted to treat him.

“I just don’t know what to think about this,” Chris said. “This is all new to me.”

“I’ll show you what to do. Come into the water with me, Christopher.”

There was a subtle change in Tom’s tone, his words becoming low and honeyed. It wasn’t like that compulsion that dragged Chris out of his bed this morning. This was something else. Charm and seduction and Chris couldn’t ignore them. He turned and set his feet in the water, following Tom into the pool.

Tom drew him down to his knees with his hands on his shoulders. Tom pressed his body close, his slick torso sliding against Chris’s. He would his hands into Chris’s hair, long nails scraping on his scalp. He drew their faces closer together. It started out with a gentle brush of lips upon lips. There was no force like there was last time. Instead it was gentle and sparked desire in Chris.

Tom opened his mouth enough to let his tongue peak out to swipe gently against the seam of Chris’s lips. The breath stuttered in Chris’s chest. He pulled back and Tom didn’t press after him. He waited until Chris came back to him. He smiled at Chris’s enthusiasm and obvious inexperience, for no one had ever kissed him before.

When they pulled apart at last, Tom’s arms slipped away from Chris’s shoulders and down his chest. There was a satisfied smirk to Tom’s lips, but Chris couldn’t care less at his arrogance. His lips still tingled and tasted of the salt of Tom’s lips.

“Simply divine,” Tom said, sinking back to his spot and picking up one of the last mussels. “See? I can be very gracious, Christopher. I promise you’ll enjoy what I give to you. I’ll see you next time.”

* * *

Chris was still in a daze when he returned home. Evelynn asked where he’d been, and he stumbled out an answer, forgetting about the preplanned lie he had thought of earlier.

He was distracted the entire day, stubbing his toes and letting objects slip in his grip. He felt odd, like he was drifting underneath the waves and couldn’t hear or see. Whenever he thought of the kisses he shared with Tom, he felt that same spark in his chest as he had before. His stomach would knot up and his skin would tingle downwards. He had never felt this way before.

It wasn’t just the experience that distracted Chris all day. It was the nature of the relationship. It was taboo. It was wrong. It was complicated and mysterious to him. He didn’t know how it was going to work out. He didn’t know what was going to happen, but it was new and raw and it excited him.

The only issue was his mother. He knew he couldn’t tell her anything about this. She would be disappointed in him; might even kick him out of the house. She raised him to be careful and wary of the nature of the water that surrounded him. She had lost her husband to the ocean and she didn’t want to lose her son. And now with Tom’s claim on him, Chris felt as if he was hurting his mother just by being around her. He didn’t know what to do, so he pretended like everything was fine. Like he wasn’t a plaything to a Mer.

The next day he was fully immersed in getting ready to head out. Sheila had a crew of six not including Chris. She was a long line fishing boat that went far out to sea week long trips until their stores were full. Her lines weren’t long and only had a few hooks per short line, but she made a profit on it, so no one could complain about her techniques.

They set out early in the morning with several other boats. Chris got to know the six other people he was going to be living with on and off throughout the season.

Robert was the boat’s main mechanic.  During the off season, he went and travelled all over the place but always returned for the hard work of the season.

Daisy was on for her second year and was actually Sheila’s cousin. She was responsible for baiting a lot of the hooks and making sure the lines weren’t tangled on their way down into the water. She also helped Wallace prep the fish for the return journey.

Chad manned on reeling out and in the lines using the mechanized pulley system.

Aileen and Marc were responsible for hauling in the lines and the fish that came with them.

Wallace was responsible for storage and making sure the fish as stored properly and lasted for the trip back to the docks. He was also the cook for the crew and spent much of his time below deck.

Seeing as Chris was on the bottom of the ladder, he would be helping out wherever he was needed. Mostly he would be keeping the ship clean and helping Wallace out in the kitchen. He also helped baiting the hooks with Daisy whenever they were falling behind, but otherwise he stood back and watched the crew as they handled the equipment and set the lines out in the water. They would leave them there for several hours and then set out and collect what they had gotten and return when they had enough.

As the captain, Sheila was a busy woman and a strict boss. The usual playful and lively attitude that Chris associated with her was funneled into her focus on the job. She took her job seriously and expected the best from her crew. She personally trained Chris to bait the hooks when he had to and often took the time to explain how things worked when they reeling in and out the lines. Chris appreciated the experience he was getting from the job and the fact that Sheila wasn’t leaving him to flounder on his own and struggle to figure out what was going on.

Wallace was happy for the help in the kitchen especially since it meant that he didn’t have to wash dishes anymore and happily passed that duty off to Chris. Chris didn’t mind. It was work. He was getting paid for this, and it meant more opportunities for him. This could be the start of his career on the open water where he always felt like he belonged.

The nights were his favourite time of day. It was relaxed and jovial. The crew got together after changing and washing up in the cramped kitchen and gathered around the table for a hot meal Wallace prepared lovingly—usually grumbling so. They sat elbow to elbow and talked about whatever came to mind. For this trip it was about introductions as Chris was new and wanted to get to know everybody.

“I’ve seen you around, Chris,” Robert would say as he used a mirror to make sure no food settled in his thick, dark beard. “You’re a native kid, aren’t you?”

Chris nodded and swallowed quickly. “Yeah, I’ve lived here all my life. My mother raised me by herself, and it’s just been me and her.” He shrugged. There was really nothing much to say. Most of the crew was from the village, so it wasn’t like his backstory was uncommon.

“Is this your first time out on the water?”

He nodded again. “My mom always liked to keep me close and out of danger.”

“So did my mom and dad,” Chad said. He was only a few years older than Chris and was covered in tattoos that all had a story to them. “They didn’t want me to fish at first. They wanted to send me off to the cities for proper education. Thing is I never had the grades to go to one of them fancy schools. Or the dedication to sit down and study for six hours at a time. Really, all I wanted to do was fish. The water . . . it was just in my veins. It was a part of me. It called to me, and I just felt at home when I was out on the boat. And that was that. I moved out here and I’ve been here ever since. I finally feel like I belong.”

Chris knew how Chad felt. The ocean was a powerful thing. It either called to you or spurned you. Chris had always felt that pull to it. He could swim before he could walk. He had never felt afraid of it before. He felt it calling to him in the night and he never could ignore it.

After cleaning up for the night, Chris went to his bunk and pulled out and length of fishing line and the silver washer he had with him. He went up top and walked to the edge of the boat, sitting preciously on the side. He took the line and tied the washer firmly to the end of it before dropping it into the water and tying the other end to one of the rungs on the exterior ladder.

“What are you doing?”

He turned and saw Sheila there with a mug and wearing a large sweater.

“Oh, hey. Um, I was just setting out a line with a washer on it. I promised my mom I would do it every night so I would be safe. Peace of mind, you know?”

Sheila nodded and came to stand behind him. “Well, it’s been keeping us safe this far. I haven’t had a single accident involving sea creatures so far on this boat. I want to keep that record spotless.”

“Well, here’s hoping that they don’t try to stop us.”

Sheila took a sip from her mug and sat down next to Chris, looking up at the stars. They were much clearer out here. There were no other lights to block them out, so now it seemed like there were millions more, the sky absolutely bursting with them.

“What do you think of the crew so far?” she asked.

“They’re great. I really like them and I feel like they’ve made a place for me here. You have a great crew.”

“Well, if they make it past the first year, I consider it to be a success. Living on a boat for more than half the year is a bit much to some people.”

“No, I like it,” Chris said. “I’m glad you decided to take me on. This is everything I could’ve wanted.”

Sheila leaned against him and rubbed his shoulder. “I’m glad you could join us. I like having you around.”

A shy smile formed itself on Chris’s lips, and he was glad for the lack of light, otherwise she would’ve seen him blush. “Really?”

“Really. I think you’re just what we need around here. I’ll be in the wheelhouse if you need me. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

Chris stayed out on deck for a while after Sheila left him. Finally he felt like he was getting somewhere with his life. Of course it was only his first night out and he was certain not every trip was going to run smoothly, but he was determined to make this work.

* * *

The busier Chris was, the less he thought of Tom and the kisses they shared. Now that he was employed on a boat, his days were much busier than they had been in a long time. Sheila cut him very little slack as the season went on, but Chris was kind of glad that she wasn’t giving him any special treatment. He was part of the crew and should be treated like the rest of them.

After the busy week of no stop movement, they returned home with full holdings and helped unload the fish. They had a day of rest before they would go back out again and set their lines. Evelynn was always there to greet Chris as soon as he set foot off the boat. She would open her arms and kiss him on the cheek as soon as she saw him.

“Oh, Christopher,” she said, hugging him tight around the middle. “I missed you so much.”

Chris felt his eyes water. He had never been without his mother for this long before. A day or two at most if she had to make the rare trip to a different village, but never a week. He had missed her terribly.

“I missed you, too, mom.”

She rubbed his back firmly and guided him away from the dock. “Let’s get you home. You look tired, sweetheart.”

“I am,” he admitted. Return trips home were usually busy, according to Daisy. They had to make sure they had everything on board and securely set away. “It was good, though. I had a good time.”

“Well, I’m sure you have plenty to tell me when we get home.”

Evelynn cooked dinner while Chris took time to set his clothing in the washer. Over dinner, Chris told his mother all about his first trip out with Sheila and the others. She listened and nodded her head, laughing at Chris’s enthusiasm as he mimed out certain parts of his stories and talking about his crewmates.

“Sounds like your first trip out was a success,” Evelynn said. “Would you say it was?”

Chris nodded. “We didn’t catch as much as Sheila hoped to, but it’s still early in the season. Still a bit slow. We expect it to pick up a bit over the next few weeks, so I think it was a good first trip out.”

“Well, I’m glad it was good.”

“Yeah. I am, too.”

His mother washed up after dinner while he set his clothes out to dry on the line outside. After, he fell into bed and closed his eyes. Finally he was happy with his life.

* * *

The fishing and the hard work continued. Chris further cemented his placed on Sheila’s boat and was enjoying the fact that he could spend so much time with her. He learned a lot from the people he lived with, and they treated him with respect and kindness. He felt like he belonged there.

He grew strong from the work on the boat, gaining muscle and filling out. He turned seventeen and celebrated it with the crewmates by having a tiepin full of whip cream pushed in his face. A tradition, apparently, that Chris took in stride and accepted.

He returned home and celebrated with his mother. They didn’t have much money to do anything spectacular, but she did give him a large silver ring.

“It belonged to your father,” she said as he looked at and turned it in his fingers. “He gave it to me when we first met. I want you to have it, so you can have a piece of him like I do.” She touched the small diamond necklace she had, the only piece of jewelry she wore on a regular basis.

“Thank you,” he said, finding a finger where it would sit snuggly. “This means a lot to me.”

She set her hand down on his harm and squeezed. “I know you do. I wish you could’ve known him.”

He reached out and squeezed her hand in return. “I do, too.”

* * *

Tom called on Chris one night when he was sleeping on the boat. He woke to the familiar pain in his arm and head. He fell out of bed and stumbled out of the cramped quarters to get to the deck. The pain eased once he was in fresh air.

_Where are you, Christopher? You’re not in your usual place_

The talking in the head thing still creeped him out a bit, and he didn’t know if it was one way or not.

“Out on the ocean,” he said in a whisper, because even to himself he sound like he was a bit sunbaked—talking to himself like this.

_Far out on the ocean, I see. All right, well stay where you are. I’ll come to you_

“Not like I can go anywhere,” Chris replied as he took a seat on the exterior ladder, letting his feet dangle in the water.

He sat there for the better part of an hour, debating whether or not he should go back to bed and forget about Tom. They would be hauling lines in tomorrow, and he needed all the rest he could get.

Something cupped his ankle, yanking him from his thoughts. He let out a yelp and stumbled back into the boat. That’s when he heard the laughter and splashing. He looked over the edge of the boat and saw Tom bobbing in the water, head thrown back.

“Shhhhh!” Chris hissed. He didn’t want his crew waking up because of Tom. “You’ll wake up the whole boat.”

“I’m sorry,” Tom said, laying his hand on his chest in mock sincerity. “I just couldn’t resist myself. Humans are so skittish—I love it!”

Chris leaned on his arms upon the edge of the boat and looked at Tom down below. The moon was strong enough to light up Tom’s scales as his tail swished back and forth. He couldn’t see all of him, but the shimmer of scales beneath the surface of the water was good enough for Chris.

“You’re far out on the water tonight,” Tom said as he gripped the bars of the ladder.

“This is what I do now,” Chris said. “You didn’t expect me to stick around forever, did you? I have a life beyond our relationship.”

“I know that,” Tom said, rolling his eyes. “I wanted to see you. Am I not allowed to see you?”

“Don’t get all offended on me,” Chris said. “I’m just not used to having you leave and then call me out of the blue like it’s no big deal. The last time we got together it had been over a year since we’d last seen each other.”

“I can’t control what I feel for you, Christopher. When I want to see, I _have_ to see you. No matter what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, well, now is not exactly the best time. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow and I really need to get some sleep.”

“Oh.” Tom pouted. “I wanted to go swimming with you. It’s such a beautifully calm night. Won’t you swim with me?” Tom swirled about in the water, showing off his tail to try and entice Chris into a late night swim.

But Chris shook his head. “I shouldn’t. I’m tired and I just—” Really, Chris did want to swim with Tom, but in a different setting. He wanted to swim in the Bay where they wouldn’t be seen and could have the privacy that Chris wanted. Now was just an inconvenient time, really.

“Another time, maybe?” he said, sighing when he saw Tom’s head bow down. “I really do want to go out with you, but not now.”

“But when?” Tom asked, gripping onto the ladder tighter and pulling himself out of the water.

“The season is almost done. Then you’ll have me for two months. We can go then.”

“Ugh. But you humans don’t like swimming in the off season. You complain that it’s too cold and rough.”

“There’s still a few good days yet at the beginning of the off season. We can swim them.

“And after? I want to see you. I never get to see you.”

Chris smiled faintly. “I promise we’ll spend more time together. Will that be enough?”

Tom whined and sank back into the water at neck height.

Seeing how disappointed Tom was, Chris huffed and told Tom to stay there. He went down below and dug around in his bag of shiny objects and pulled out a key. Maybe that would be good enough for him.

“Here,” he said, holding out the key until Tom looked his way.

Tom swam over and looked up at him under his eyelashes, stretching out a hand to accept Chris’s offering. He took the key in both hands and inspected it.

“I have several of these,” he said. “But you gave this one to me, so I like it best.” He raised his head and gripped the ladder at the top. He hauled himself out and pressed a quick kiss to Chris’s lips before he dropped down into the water and disappeared.

Tom was strange. Chris didn’t know much about Merfolk, but Tom’s fleeting and mysterious nature concerned him a bit. He was a nice enough person beneath the possessive and asshole-ish behaviour—if a bit aloof at times. But Chris could see the charm there. Tom was playful and driven by desire. What he wanted, he sought out to get immediately. Very single minded that way.

However their relationship would evolve, Chris was interested in seeing how it played out.

Suddenly, Tom’s tail popped out of the water and slapped down on the surface, splashing Chris in the face as he made his final farewell.

Asshole.

* * *

As he promised, Chris swam with Tom in the Bay as soon as the off season came around. Tom was enthusiastic about it and met Chris on the beach that day, flopping about in the shallows as Chris kicked off his shoes and took off his shirt. He walked into the water, coming to knee height as Tom twisted himself around and slid deeper into the water, prompting Chris to follow him until he was at chest height.

Tom was simply content to swim circles around Chris, letting his tail curl around his legs and brush against him in an odd but welcoming manner. His circles became tighter until he was coiled around Chris like a snake, stopping to hug him around the waist, trapping his body against his own. Without being able to use his legs, Chris easily lost his balance and fell backwards right into Tom’s embrace.

“Hm,” Tom said. “Much better.” He nuzzled against Chris, sniffing at him and stroking him with his tail fins.

Chris let himself be held and coddled and let Tom have his way with him. Tom seemed to enjoy himself, running the tip of his nose along Chris’s temple. He was emitting this soft rumbling from his chest, almost like a purr. So this was Tom when he was happy and content, when he had everything that he needed.

“I thought you wanted to swim,” Chris said.

“Hush. This is swimming.”

The purring resumed. Chris reached up with his pinned hands to hold onto Tom’s arms, inspecting the odd webbing between his fingers. His nails weren’t overly long and cruel looking like he imagined when he was a kid. They weren’t pointed but rounded at the top, perfect for picking open shellfish to get at the meat inside. Everything about Tom was practical for his environment. He wasn’t a monster. He just was.

The purring ceased, and Tom asked. “What is that?”

His attention was caught by the silver ring on Chris’s hand. He gripped Chris’s hand and tried to get at the ring.

“What is it?” he asked, trying to pull the ring off of Chris’s finger. His tail uncoiled and he swam around to get a closer look at the ring. Chris missed the warmth immediately. “Christopher, what is it?”

“Hold on. It’s just a ring.”

“I know, but I want to see it! Let me see it!” Tom reached out for it again, whining as Chris continued to pull back out of his reach. “Christopher!”

Chris grinned and pulled off his ring, intending to let Tom see it but not touch it. He had no intentions of losing his father’s ring. Tom was happy enough to look at it for a while before he started frowning and reaching for the ring again.

“Where did you get this?” He held Chris’s hand in his own, taking a closer inspection of the ring but respecting Chris’s policy of ‘look; don’t touch.’

“It was my dad’s,” he said. “Or, at least, that’s what my mom said.”

“Did you ever meet your father?”

Chris shook his head. “He was long gone before I was born.”

Tom stroked over the ring, turning and twisting it on Chris’s finger. “May I see it?”

Chris nodded this time, tugging the ring off his finger and pressing it into Tom’s hands. Tom smiled his thanks and then turned his attention to the ring, inspecting it closely for any hidden marks or inscriptions. Chris simply thought that it was part of Tom’s nature to take an interest in anything shiny, but this wasn’t that usual interest. It seemed like Tom was examining it more than being enthralled by it.

“You never knew your father?” Tom asked, looking at Chris and then the ring again.

“No. Mom never talks about him either. I don’t even know what he did, to be honest. I think it makes her sad.”

“Hm. Well, I’d love to hear the story of how she got this.” He handed Chris his ring and proceeded to float on his back towards the shallows so he could inspect his tail for loose scales and any rips in the thin flesh of his fins.

Chris looked down at the ring on his finger and swam over to Tom, now curious about what he knew of the ring. “What do you mean? What about my ring?”

“Your mother never told you?”

“Told me what?” He sat down next to Tom in the surf, hugging his knees to stave off the oncoming chill.

“That ring,” he said, pointing at the silver band around Chris’s finger, “is not human. It’s of my kind. It’s meant to be a sign of protection, a warning of sorts to other Merfolk.”

“What kind of warning?”

“I don’t know. The usual. ‘Stay back’ or ‘don’t touch.’ Things like that.”

“Like a claim?” He touched the scar on his arm, wondering what this ring really was.

“Sort of. It plays on old magic. Whoever’s wearing it should be protected from other Merfolk. And possibly other sea creatures, but I don’t know if that’s true. It sends out this message, I guess, subliminally. ‘Back off, or you’ll get hurt.’ The warning from the ring is noticeably dimmer now. I can barely register it, so it must be old. I can’t believe your mother didn’t tell you. Those rings aren’t passed out willy nilly—as you humans says. Even I would like to know how your mother got one of those.”

After a final inspection of his tail, Tom leaned back on his elbows to look at Chris. Chris huddled in on himself. Sitting in the water this long would get him sick. If he had the tools, he would gather some drift wood and start a fire on the beach, but he didn’t think he would be in the water this long.

“You seem upset,” Tom observed. “What’s wrong?”

Chris shrugged. “I don’t know. You’ve just given me a lot to think about. That’s all.”

“I’ve worried you. I’m sorry.”

“No, no. It’s all right. Besides, I feel like I was going to discover something sooner or later about my dad. Now all I have is more questions.”

Tom touched his arm briefly before he noticed how cold Chris was. “Go home and rest. I’ll see you again another time, all right?”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

They kissed briefly as a farewell. As Chris stood up and said his final farewells, he noticed that Tom could not tear his gaze away from his ring until he was out of the water.

* * *

“Where were you all day?” Evelynn asked as Chris set foot in the house.

“Around,” he said. He felt bad about not being truthful with her, but she wasn’t always truthful with him. He felt like he was owed. “I just went for a walk down the beach. Wanted to see if anything has changed.”

“Well, nothing much has happened while you were out. They say they’ve seen activity at Lake Eloise, so stay away from the Bay, all right?” Lake Eloise was the lake Merfolk went to for breeding and birthing purposes—so named after the woman who discovered the Lake and the reasons why it was so dangerous. “Also, they say it’s going to be a stormy season, so I want you to take a good look at those storm shutters.”

He sighed. “Yes, mom.”

* * *

Chris didn’t get to the shutters right away. He started coughing early the next morning and managed to crack open his eyes.

He felt horrible.

Evelynn, through the thing walls of their house, heard him coughing and came to him with cough syrup even though he was seventeen years old and was capable of getting to the bathroom to retrieve some cough syrup himself. But Evelynn still worried about Chris every time he went out the door on his own and took every opportunity to look after him and make him well.

She gave him two spoonfuls of the awful tasting syrup and bent down to press her lips to his forehead as she did when he was young and most likely had a fever.

“You feel a little warm,” she said. “Were you in the water today?”

He nodded.

“Nothing more than a cold then. Get some rest. You’re staying in bed tomorrow.”

Evelynn left quietly, and Chris closed his eyes, sniffling and coughing a little as the syrup went to work to soothe his throat.

With the things he had learned about his father’s ring and the possible secrets Evelynn was keeping from him, Chris didn’t know if he could stand staying in the house with her for a day.

* * *

He slept late into the morning, head clogged up with sickness, making him feel unbalanced when he stood up to go to the bathroom. He shuffled back to his bed and slept again until he mother came into his room with a bowl of hot broth. She set the bowl on his desk and helped him sit up before setting the tray over his lap. Nose stuffed, Chris couldn’t tell what broth it was, but he was hungry, so he ate everything up along with the plain soda crackers he was given.

Evelynn set her hands on her hips and looked around Chris’s room. She turned on the light to see better, ignoring Chris’s groan of protest. Chris wasn’t the cleanest person, even less so when he was out fishing.

“This room needs to be cleaned,” she said, noting his duffle bag still full of unwashed clothes from his trip.

“Later,” he said.

“I know. When you’re better.”

When he finished eating, Evelynn whisked the tray away and returned with some water for him, setting it down on his night table before kissing his forehead and checking his temperature. He frowned and twisted away from her touch.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. Chris was normally a very physical person in nature, preferring hugs and gentle touches—giving or receiving. But today he just wasn’t feeling it.

“Just tired,” he said, rolling away to face the wall.

“All right. I’ll leave you to your rest. I’ll be back with your dinner.” She didn’t kiss or touch him as she left, turning off the light and closing the door to leave Chris in darkness.

He had always had a close relationship with his mother. For the first years of his life, they were all they had. Evelynn had left her home to raise Chris on her own, and trying to assimilate to a new place was harder than previously thought. Growing up, there were very few kids for Chris to play with and Evelynn didn’t want him wandering off on his own. They were all they had, and Chris didn’t have anyone else to turn to for problems in his life. While it was nice to be able to have someone like his mother to come to for any issue he had, he knew now that she was keeping secrets from him. Now he felt like he was alone again. If he couldn’t trust his own mother, who could he go to for help?

He recovered slowly, and by the third day his cold had regressed to a throat tickle. He cleaned his clothes first, hanging them out to dry on the lines. Then he took a look at the storm shutters of the house, seeing what he had to do to fix them up.

Life on the coast was hard. Storms were often rough and unforgiving. The house Chris and his mother lived in was a single storey, two bedroom house that was just the right size to be classified as ‘cozy.’ It needed repairs every year due to the harsh weather, but it was enough for the two of them. Now Chris wasn’t so sure.

The house now felt too small for him, keeping him close to his mother when all he wanted was space. This life he had now was not enough for him. He thought he had it all when Sheila offered him a place on her boat. It gave him a wider sense of the world around him, but still he felt trapped. He felt like he didn’t belong, like there was more meant for him.

People would just say what did he know? He was only seventeen. He had no idea what he wanted, and that was much of Chris’s dilemma. He didn’t know what he wanted or how he was going to get it.

He fixed the shutters, taking advantage of the physical work to steer clear of his mother. After he finished, he took time to visit Sheila. Her boat was currently dry docked at the docks to inspect the hull for any damage or concerning rust spots. He went with her and followed her around silently as she and Wallace inspected the boat and made comments about certain spots that were of concern.

Wallace went away to make notes of everything they had talked about, leaving Chris and Sheila behind in the dry dock.

“So,” she said. “How are you enjoying the off season?”

“Bored out of my mind, but other than that it’s nice to be able to sleep for more than four hours at a time.”

She smiled. “Yeah. That is a bonus. But really. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

“Nothing much. Fixing up the house mostly and trying to keep busy.”

“Thinking of travelling?”

Chris shook his head. “I never really thought about it before. It was never really an option for me.”

“And now? You have money to go places if you want to.”

He shrugged and looked up at the boat, seemingly bigger now that it was out of the water. He had never thought of travelling like Robert did, who often regaled them with tales of his travels to far off cities. Chris was a bit jealous of Robert’s freedom, but in the end he guessed it all came down to him. He simply didn’t have the drive to leave his home. Plus his mother had always told him that they didn’t have the money to go the cities; that they had to be careful with what they had. She never wanted him to go too far away from her, and he didn’t want to make her worry unnecessarily.

“I don’t know,” he said finally. “I wouldn’t know what to do or where to go.”

“You can always ask Robert when he comes back next year. I’m sure he would enjoy having someone tag along.”

Chris shrugged again and said, “I’ll think about it.”

They climbed out the dry dock, and Sheila invited Chris back to her place for food and a warm drink. She lived in a small apartment that was only one bedroom. She turned on the kettle and told him to make himself comfortable. He sat down on her couch in the living room while she bustled away a in the kitchen only a few feet away. He took note of his surroundings, seeing the family pictures on the walls and the rabbit-ear antenna television set. The only other person Chris knew who had one of those was the old man who used to watch him when he was little. Obviously Sheila had some funds to spend on something like that.

“Here we are.” Sheila handed him a steaming mug of tea and sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

“Thanks.” The tea was hot and bitter with added lemon.

“Chris, are you not feeling well?”

He looked over to her, sipping at his tea. “What do you mean? I feel fine.”

She tucked her legs up onto the sky and narrowed her eyes at him over the rim of her mug. “No, I don’t think so. Something’s bothering you.”

Chris sighed and sank down into the couch. “I thought it would be nice to come home and relax for a few months, but now I just feel trapped. Like there’s nowhere to go, and my home doesn’t feel like my home anymore. I don’t know. It’s just very confusing.”

“Do you want to leave and go find another place to live and work?”

“I don’t know. I like it here. This is where I’ve been all my life. It’s just I think I want more. I want something different. And it’s just . . .” He scratched his head, messing up his hair. “I feel like my mom is keeping secrets from me, and she’s just always there in my space when I just want to be alone, and I just want to know what she isn’t telling, and I wish she would just be straight with me.” He took a deep breath and another sip of his tea. It felt good to be able to talk to someone other than his mother.

“What do you think she’s keeping secret from you?”

“Stuff about my dad. I never knew him. He was gone long before I was born.”

“Have you asked her about him?”

“I have several times. She keeps changing the subject, so I never pressed her. Honestly, I don’t know why she just doesn’t tell me.” _I also wish she would tell me about the ring,_ but Chris kept that thought to himself.

“You should talk to her, Chris,” Sheila suggested, reaching out to hold his hand. “You’ll be turning eighteen soon. I think you deserve to know.”

“I know, I know. I just don’t want to upset her. She always seems sad whenever I try to bring him up. So. I don’t know.” He stopped babbling and drank some more tea. He glanced down at their hands and swallowed. He was glad Sheila was giving him support and letting him talk out his frustrations. She could be doing other jobs, being around other people her own age. But no. She was here with Chris, wanting to be with him and hear about his anguish. It was nice having someone like her to spend time with him.

“If you ever feel especially trapped at home, you are welcome to spend the night here. We can set up the couch for you.”

“Thanks. I’d really like that. Do you think I could cash in on that offer right now?”

“I don’t see why not. Not feeling up to going back home?”

He shook his head, removing his hand from hers as she stood up. “I just need a day away.”

“All right. We’ll make up the couch and have a night in. Sound like a plan?”

Chris smiled gratefully and nodded. “Perfect.”

They cooked dinner together, and Sheila teased him about the sauce that was on his face and the fact that the smoke alarm was set off.

“Do you even know how to cook?” she asked as he fanned a towel underneath the alarm.

“Usually I’m pretty good and not a hazard, thank you very much. I just turned the heat up to high. It’s all good.”

They sat down and ate in front of the television with all four channels. Sheila pulled down extra blankets for Chris on the couch, handing him a pillow and pulling the blinds down to cover the windows.

“Thanks for letting me stay with you. I needed to get away for a while.”

“It’s no problem, Chris. You can come over any time you like. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

* * *

Evelynn was not pleased about Chris’s sleepover. “I was so worried,” she said. “I thought you would be home. Where were you?”

“With Sheila. We were looking at the boat, it got late, and she let me stay over so I wouldn’t have to walk home late at night. It’s no big deal.” He took off his shoes at the front door and walked past his mother and towards his room.

“I expect you to tell me where you are going,” Evelynn said. “Don’t make me worry about you unnecessarily, Christopher.”

“I just needed to get away for a night. Is that so hard to understand?”

“Don’t you dare use that tone with me.”

Chris sighed and turned around to face her. “I’m sorry, all right? Let’s just forget about it.” She didn’t say anything else and dropped the matter, heading outside to gather the laundry.

Chris went into his bedroom and closed the door. He picked up the loose clothes on his floor and smelled his bedsheets. They could do with a washing. But before that, he sat down on his bed and looked up at the ceiling. He didn’t know where these feelings were coming from. He suddenly couldn’t stand being around his mother, but he didn’t want to hurt her. He couldn’t leave yet. Perhaps this was just a phase. He just had to settle living at home again.

Things should return to normal. He just had to believe that.

* * *

Chris was on the beach at the Bay, stoking a small fire made of drift wood and other refuse he could find to sustain a flame. It was cold that night, and he was dressed in his warmest clothing for the night. Tom wanted to see him, wanted to spend time with him under the stars that night, so Chris came willingly.

The sounds of struggle and something heavy being dragged across the sand prompted Chris to sit up on his blanket. Tom was leaving the surf, dragging himself from the water and towards Chris’s blanket. He flopped down with half his tail on the sand still, breathing hard as Chris lay down next to him.

“Hi,” he said. “I’m happy you could make it.”

Tom blinked slowly at him and moved closer to lay his head down overtop of Chris’s heart. “My people are not built for land.”

“I saw that.”

Tom made a frustrated noise and curled closer to him. “I’ve missed you.”

“Missed you, too.”

Tom lifted his head and looked down at Chris. “Do you mean that?” He was concerned, Chris realized, that Chris didn’t actually like him and was just putting up with him because of the claim.

“Yeah. Of course I did. I do like you, Tom.”

“Mm.”

Tom lay his head down again. Chris smoothed his hand down Tom’s back, still wet from the water, and that seemed to soothe him, lulling him to a more restful state. He started purring not long after.

Chris didn’t know what to call their relationship. It wasn’t something romantic. It was something physical and intimate, and that was what Chris liked. He felt like had no obligations to Tom other than to show up and entertain him every once in a while. It was also nice to be held and adored in this manner. Tom truly appreciated him for who he was.

Tom wrapped his arms around Chris’s neck and pulled himself further up onto the blanket and settled between Chris’s legs. He shifted his hips, rocking down on Chris while Chris continued to stroke him. The rubbing was nice. It was soothing and pleasurable. Chris lifted his legs and planted his feet on the blanket, rocking in time with Tom’s thrusts.

“Do you trust me, Christopher?” he asked, voice low and sweet. He looked down at Chris, looming over him as he continued to roll his hips.

Chris nodded quickly and raised his hips, so Tom could push down on his clothes to bare his cock. The night air was cool, and Chris hissed when he was bared to it. Tom wrapped his hand around Chris’s cock and pumped it slowly, balancing himself on one hand over top of Chris. He pumped slowly, watching Chris’s face closely as he continued to stroke him.

“Are you enjoying this, Christopher?”

Chris nodded. “Mmhmm.”

“I love the little sounds you make. You sound so sweet like this and you look even better. I can’t wait to taste you, to have you as mine.”

Tom took hand away and crowded down over him. Something warm and wet and _pulsing_ wrapped around Chris’s cock and began stroking in rhythmic patterns. It was Tom’s unusual cock, twisting around Chris’s cock to stroke and squeeze him. It felt nice to receive such pleasure from Tom, pleasure that he actually wanted. He lifted his legs and set them over Tom’s hips. Crossing them at the ankle, he hugged Tom close to get more of that heat and slippery friction.

Tom mouthed and licked the skin of his neck. He clamped down lightly on the juncture of his neck. There was a bit of pain, but not enough to affect his erection. Tom continued to rock against him until he came and continued even longer until he was satisfied. His full weight pressed down on Chris, driving the air from his lungs until he protested and Tom rolled off to the side.

“Was that to your liking, Christopher?” Tom asked, voice rough and low.

Out of breath and at a loss for words, Chris replied, “Uh huh.”

Tom laughed and wrapped Chris up in his arms and tail. Content and sated, he began to purr quietly, prompting Chris to close his eyes and enjoy the heat of the fire at his back and the sound of water lapping gently against the shore line.

* * *

The tension at home never seemed to leave, and Chris felt like there was this huge weight suspended above his and his mom’s head that was going to come crashing down at any moment. But he pretended everything was fine for now, smiling more often and trying to pretend like there was something his mother wasn’t telling him. He took his respites when he could, working with Sheila on the boat and having dinner with her every once in a while. He saw Tom more often, at least once a week, and enjoyed the intimate couplings that took place. He grew bolder in his relationship with Tom, seeking out more physical reassurances to sate his needs for something that was growing inside of him. Something he could not name.

The off season crawled by with its bitter winds and rough waters, and soon the new season was upon the village. Chris eagerly boarded Sheila’s boat and took his place among her crew once more. His second season was starting.

Tom often followed him out on the trips, swimming far behind the boat and coaxing Chris out of his bed at night. Chris would sit on the ladder while Tom swam about his feet and leaned on his knees. They couldn’t be as physical as Chris wanted, but Tom promised him many filthy things when the off season came around.  

“Next time I’ll use my fingers,” he said, hands flexing and travelling up Chris’s thighs. “I’ll work you open and find your sweet spot to get you hard and aching and soon you’ll beg me to give you the release you so crave.” He cupped Chris through his clothing and rubbed his hardening cock.

“Do you promise?” Chris asked as he held onto Tom’s wrist to get more of that friction. The images Tom created made Chris light in the head, dizzy with want. He wanted nothing more than to move to the next step in their relationship.

“Oh, darling, I always keep my promises. And I promise to see that you are utterly wrecked and spent beneath me, feeling my touch on your skin for days afterwards.” He leaned in and pressed his lips to the bulge in Chris’s pants, mouthing at it hotly and getting Chris worked up and aching.

“Tom,” Chris said, itching to thrust forward. “Tom, please.”

Tom pulled back and smirked. “What am I thinking? Keeping you up this late at night when I know you have to work. I think it’s best if I leave, Christopher, so that you can get your rest. Goodnight. I’ll see you next time.” He sank into the water and disappeared before Chris could protest.

“God dammit, Tom.”

Fumbling with the hem of his pants, he took out his cock and stroked himself to a messy and quick climax that was barely satisfying.

“Asshole,” he muttered as he cleaned himself up and walked down to his bed. He could’ve sworn he heard laughter as he dropped down below deck.

* * *

Chris’s eighteenth birthday was approaching, and he wanted to do something special about it. He was legally an adult now. He could buy his own boat, start his own company, and do things without his mother’s consent. He felt good about himself now. He had grown into his body, no longer that gangly teenager he was so familiar with seeing in the mirror. He would be home that day from fishing and was planning on doing as much as he could to bring in his eighteenth birthday.

His day started out with a big hug and kiss from his mother when he got up that morning.

“Happy birthday!” she said, cupping his face and smiling widely. “My baby’s all grown up now. Eighteen years old. Where does the time go?”

“I’m not _that_ old,” he said, blushing from the attention.

“Well, you’re no longer that sweet, giggly little baby I used to know. Now come into the kitchen. I’ve got something for you!”

Chris let himself be pulled into the kitchen where Evelynn showed off the gifts she got for him. There was a new duffel bag for him, brand new without any tears and solid straps. It was also bigger than his old one and would certainly hold more stuff for him. He thanked her and kissed her on the cheek.

“It’s perfect,” he said. “Just what I needed.”

“I’m glad. What are you up to for the rest of the day?”

“Well, Sheila and the mates plan on taking me to the pub for my first drink. Nothing too serious. Just a bunch of us getting together for a drink or two. But I might stay over at Sheila’s for the night if you don’t mind. She lives closer to the place we’re going, and I’m probably going to stay out pretty late tonight.”

Evelynn set her fingertips to her lips and the space between her eyes wrinkled up in thought. “All right,” she said hesitantly. “But I want to see you again before you set off, all right?”

“Yes, mom. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow. Have a good time now.”

“I will. Bye.”

He packed his new bag for the next fishing trip and packed a smaller one with a large towel and warm blanket inside of it with a small pack of matches for later that night.

He met with Sheila and the crew at Sheila’s place where they were having lunch together. They clapped him on the back instead of shoving a whip-cream filled pie tin in his face like last time. “Too messy,” was Sheila’s reply.

They had a light lunch while settling around the TV and watching the big city games that they could get. Around dinner time, Robert got them all up onto their feet and led them to a nearby pub, one of the more popular places in the village for fishers who were taking breaks between trips. It wasn’t too busy by the time they arrived, so they snagged a round table with enough seats for them all. A server came out and gave them menus, telling them what was on tap, and leaving them to their decisions.

“What’ll you have, birthday boy?” Daisy asked.

Looking at the drinks menu, Chris was overwhelmed by the decision. There was so much he didn’t know.

“I don’t know. What do you guys think?”

“Shots!” Chad said, flagging down a server to get a round of Tequila shots going.

The shots were passed out, and Chris picked up the small glass like the rest of them and tipped it back in one go. It burned at first, causing Chris to cough and sputter while the others laughed and congratulated him on his first shot as an adult. It was exhilarating.

They ordered plates of beer battered fish and various potato based dishes. Chad ordered a drink for Chris, the former assuring him that it wasn’t as hard as the shot.

“Something a little smoother and a little sweeter for you,” Chad said. “Cider!”

The others all ordered their favourite drinks as well. All except Sheila. “I like a have a clear head the morning we head out,” she said. “No hangovers or headaches for me.”

The cider was nice and sweet and Chris enjoyed it greatly. The food was tasty and greasy. It was delicious, and Chris considered this day to be the best day of his life. And, as they say, the night was still young.

After two glasses of cider and one more shot, Chris was feeling pleasantly buzzed. The others decided to call it a night and head back to their various houses. Chris, with only his small bag, walked Sheila back to her apartment and saw her off at the door.

“Will you be staying over tonight? Your stuff is already here.”

He shook his head. “Going back home for the night. Figured I could stash my stuff here so I don’t have to worry about it in the morning.”

“Good plan. I’ll see you in the morning. Have a good night, Chris.”

“Thanks, Sheila. You, too.”

It was a long walk to Downfall Bay. Chris stumbled more times than he’d like to admit, but he finally made it down to the beach and started collecting driftwood. Once he had the fire going, he pulled out the large beach towel and set it down next to it. He set the bag and his blanket aside and waited. Tom knew it was a big day for him, so thankfully he didn’t have to wait long.

“The things I do to make you happy,” Tom said after he crawled his way from the surf. “Hello, darling.”

“Hi. Thanks for coming.”

“Save it. You pulled me away from some very important so I expect—mmpf!”

Chris cut him off with a solid kiss to the lips, stealing his breath and his words. Tom kissed him back just as enthusiastically. “I’m glad you could make it. This is a rather special day for me you know.”

“Yes, and what is that again? Humans have so many meaningless celebrations that it’s hard to keep track of them.”

“It’s my birthday! I’m eighteen now.”

“Coming of age, I assume?”

Chris nodded and reached for Tom’s hands. “Yes. Being eighteen means I can own my own property, my own boat, my own company. And I can drink now.”

“I noticed. You do taste a bit bitter. Did you have fun celebrating with your human friends?”

“I did, and now I want to finish the night off with you. _And_ I want it to be special. Will you do that for me? Will you make this night stand out from the rest?”

Tom picked up on his hidden meaning, for his pupils dilated. “I think I have just the gift for you.”

Chris grinned and let his hands be pinned down on either side of his head as Tom rolled between his legs. “Oh, do you now?”

“Yes, I do. If you would just be patient, I will gladly give it to you. Now keep your hands here, Christopher. I’m sure you’ll love what is to follow.”

Chris obeyed Tom’s demands and let himself be stripped of his clothes. Tom took his time in worshipping Chris’s body, trailing kisses from his cheeks down his throat and to his chest.

“Feels good,” Chris said.

“Just you wait, darling. This is only the beginning.”

They had done things like this before, where they shared no words and were purely physical with each other. Tom had unlocked many secrets to Chris’s body, showed him pleasure he had never thought possible. And now Chris was ready for Tom to have him like this, spread out beneath him, willing to accept whatever he was willing to give.

“Give me your hand, Christopher,” Tom said. “It’ll be easier this way.”

Chris nodded and gave Tom his hand. “All right.”

With a steady hand, Tom guided Chris’s finger to his entrance helping him to guide his fingers inside of himself. It was an odd feeling at first, but Tom encouraged him to pump his finger in and out. “Good?”

“Uh huh.”

“Now a second.”

Two fingers was a bit rougher and Chris realized that he’d brought no slick to ease the way.

“Wait, wait, wait. This isn’t working.”

Tom leaned back, forehead creased in worry. “Something wrong?”

“I didn’t prepare for this. I’m sorry. We need something, like oil or slick. It kind of hurts.”

“Oh. Not a problem. I do have a solution.”

Tom’s cock, which was already out of its sheath, seemed to ooze copious amounts of slick. Tom brought Chris’s hand up to collect some on his fingertips and brought them to his hole again. This time the breach was easier added by the impromptu slick. Two fingers was easier and soon three was no problem. He pressed a fourth against his rim and breathed out as he pressed in. It was tight and a bit strange, but Tom guided his hand, pumping in and out slowly, stretching him until they were sure he could take Tom’s cock.

Pressing a kiss to his shoulder, Tom asked, “All right?”

Chris nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I’m ready.”

He removed his fingers and spread his legs further for Tom to come lie down between them.

“Let’s get you nice and wet now,” Tom said. He pumped his cock a few times and collected the fluid that oozed out of the tip. He wet Chris’s entrance and when he deemed him prepared he lined himself up and loomed over Chris. “It might be painful. I’m not going to lie to you and say that this entire experience will be perfect all the way through. Are you sure you want this? I don’t want to hurt you.”

Chris raised his hand and touched Tom’s face, cupping the back of his head so they could kiss. “I trust you, Tom. I want this.” He raised his legs for further invitation, and Tom took it.

He was stretched out and slicked up enough to ease the initial passage. Tom pushed in until Chris felt like he might tear if he pushed in even further. So Tom stopped and rested inside Chris, allowing him to get used to the new sensation.

“You can move,” Chris said, clamping down on Tom’s cock reflexively.

“All right. Here we go.”

It was a strange feeling. It was like Tom’s cock was _slithering_ in and out of him, but the way it moved always made sure it struck that special spot inside of Chris, making his cock jump and leak. He kept his legs tucked up and around Tom’s waist to get him to drive deeper into his body.

“Do you like that, Christopher? How full do I make you feel?”

Chris groaned and clamped down on his again.

“I love it when you do that. Do it again.”

He grinned and did just as Tom asked. He clamped down tightly and felt this odd fluttering inside of him. His balls tightened and he came suddenly, to his great embarrassment. Mortified, he hid his face in his hands. “Oh, God! I am so sorry! Shit. I did not mean for that to happen. Shit. Oh shit.”

Tom stopped thrusting into him and lay heavily on top of him. He was still for a time until he started laughing. “Shush. It’s all right.” He kissed Chris quickly on the lips and laughed again. “I find your lack of stamina endearing. There’s no need to apologize. Besides, you are just coming into your own now. You have so much to experience yet. The night is young, and I am nowhere near satisfied.”

” _Oh, God._ ”

“Mm. You are simply divine, Christopher. And you’re all _mine._ ”

He started thrusting again, working Chris open and getting his body to respond again to his ministrations. Chris’s cock began to respond slowly, filling with blood despite his earlier climax until he was hard and aching once more. One of Tom’s hands squeezed between their bodies and wrapped around Chris’s length, stroking and squeezing it playfully. Chris groaned and whined beneath him when Tom squeezed him around the base, cutting off any chance of another quick finish.

“Not yet,” Tom said. “Not until I’ve had my fill.” He thrust in hard, reaching further than before. Chris felt impossibly full, holding his breath as Tom kept up his pace, tail thrashing in the sand.

“Oh, yes,” he said. “Oh, yes. So fucking tight. All mine. _All mine._ ” He clamped down on Chris’s neck, teeth scraping against his neck as he released his grip around the base of Chris’s cock and stroked ruthlessly until Chris was keening again. “Almost there. Almost. Take what I give you. Take it.” And then he bit down on Chris’s neck, this time piercing skin. Chris came again that night, heart beating wildly as he lay still beneath Tom as he shoved in once more and came.

It was almost too much for Chris to bear. There was a buildup of pressure within him. Tom held onto him tightly and pinned him down to prevent him from squirming away. After an eternal moment, Tom’s cock pulled out of him, and the pressure abated. The muscles in Chris’s back released the tension, and he let his legs fall back onto the ground. Tom’s teeth retracted from his skin, causing Chris to wince. Tom rose up and looked down at him, both breathing hard and without any words to say. Tom dipped his head and began to lick at the wound he’d created, cleaning up the blood and sealing the small cuts to speed up the process of healing.

Once he gained his bearings, Chris said, “That was—”

“Shhh,” Tom said, putting a finger to Chris’s lips. “No words. Not tonight. Let me take care of you.” He went back to the licking and soon started purring, lulling Chris into a peaceful state.

He woke suddenly when he felt Tom move above him. The Mer moved down on Chris, coming to rest between his legs. He sniffed at Chris’s flaccid penis, bypassing it entirely to move further down to Chris’s hole, still leaking the copious amount of Tom’s spend. He lifted Chris’s legs onto his shoulders and swiped his tongue over his hole without warning.

“Holy shit!” Chris hooked his hands under his knees to hold up his legs. Tom took no interest in his profanity and continued to lick at Chris hole and tease him open with his tongue. If he weren’t so drained, Chris knew he would become hard in no time.

After Tom had his fill, he popped off—a lewd, wet sound that Chris would never forget—and crawled back up to Chris’s face. He kissed him soundly on the lips, convincing Chris to open his lips and share the taste.

“Did you enjoy it?” Tom asked as he took his weight off of Chris’s chest and lay beside him on the towel.

Chris nodded. “It was perfect. Better than I imagined in fact. Thank you.”

“Well, I wanted your first time to be enjoyable. And I . . . well. I’m sorry about the first time we met. I hurt you. I nearly did something awful to you. You don’t have to forgive me, but please accept my apologies. I never wish to hurt you again.” He peppered Chris’s chest with kisses, running a webbed hand over his abdomen.

“All is forgiven,” Chris said. “You may have scared me and hurt me, but you’ve shown to me how kind you can be. How loving instead of how mean and cruel. Thank you for what you’ve done tonight. I truly appreciate it.” He tugged Tom close for a kiss and settled down next to him.

“Mm, well rest now, Chris. Rest and enjoy the rest of your night. You’ve earned it.” He retrieved Chris’s blanket and wrapped him up in it, taking the time to stoke the dying fire.

Warm and thoroughly fucked out, Chris let his eyes close, feeling Tom’s lips on his forehead one last time before he fell asleep. He woke hours later in the early morning to the cry of gulls. The sun was just peaking up over the horizon. He smelled the smoke of his fire, now reduced to ash. Tom was nowhere to be found, the slash marks in the sand being the only indication of his retreat.

He stretched out on the towel beneath him, wincing at the soreness between his legs and on his neck. He had to get back to the village eventually, and leaving earlier rather than lying around and cat napping would be better for him.

He washed off in the shallows, using sand to scrub at his skin. He dressed and stuck the towel and blanket back into his bag. His first stop when he made it to the village was his mother’s. He thought it best to see her real quick before he was off onto the sea again.

He walked right into the house, calling out for his mother but finding the place to be empty. He wondered where she could be so early in the day. He decided to go look for her in town on his way back to Sheila’s, but was surprised to bump into her on his way out of the house. She held one of his sweaters in her hands and immediately gave him a once over.

“Christopher!” she said as if surprised to see him at the house. “Where were you? I went to Sheila’s house to give you this. You forgot to pack your sweater. I asked her where you were, but she said you went home last night. Where were you, Christopher?”

Caught in the lie, Chris couldn’t think of a plausible explanation that would work for his mother. He floundered for an embarrassing moment before Evelynn reached up and tugged down the collar of his shirt.

“What is that?” she asked, eyes narrowing at the ring of teeth marks that had scabbed over and healed quickly during the night. They clearly weren’t in the shape of human teeth, that was for sure, and it seemed like his mother noticed this fact.

“Come inside,” she said coldly, gripping Chris’s arm tightly and giving him no choice but to follow her. “You are going to tell me everything. Where were you last night?”

“Why is it such a big deal?” Chris asked. “I was out with a friend last night. That’s all.”

“Don’t you dare lie to me, Christopher.” She pointed an accusing finger at him. “I want to know where you were. Who gave that to you?” She pulled down his shirt to touch the mark, but he shook her off, frowning and hunching his shoulders in defence.

“Why do you care? I went out last night. I had some fun. I came back. I’m safe. I’m fine. Can’t we just forget about it?”

“Who were you with?” She crossed her arms over her chest expectantly. It seemed like she knew where Chris was and who Chris was with. There was recognition in her eyes when she saw the bite mark on Chris’s neck. But she clearly wanted to hear the truth from Chris.

“No,” Chris said. “I’m entitled to have secrets just like you are. So I’d appreciate it if you stayed out of my business.”

It came out harsh and rather loud. Evelynn looked shocked at his outburst. He had never talked back to his mother in such a manner before. He had always answered her questions directly and replied ‘yes, mom’ when asked to do something. But now he was irritated by her control over him. Why couldn’t he be entitled to some damn privacy?

“Where is this coming from?” Evelynn asked.

“Like you don’t already know. You’ve been keeping secrets from me. You won’t even tell me the truth about my dad. Why should I tell you what I’ve been doing when you can’t even tell me about my dad?”

She was stunned beyond words, sounds coming from her lips that formed only broken syllables. Chris turned his back on her and left the house, walking fast to the village and to Sheila’s apartment.

His mother called out to him, calling him back to the house. “Christopher! Wait. Come back here, Chris!”

But his anger shielded his heart from her desperate please that would’ve no doubt sent him running back. He knocked loudly on Sheila’s door when he arrived. She opened it a few seconds later, smile dropping as she saw the enraged look on his face.

“Chris, are you all right?”

“Can I come in?”

“Yeah, sure.”

She stepped aside quickly to let him inside, shoulders hunched and brows creased as he fought to control the wave of emotions threatening to drown him. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, muttering a quiet, “Fuck!”

“Chris.” Sheila was behind him, placing his hands on her shoulders to let him know that she was there for him. “Talk to me. What’s wrong?”

“Is it all right if I stay here with you for the foreseeable future?” He turned on her quickly, causing her to jump back in surprise at the sudden movement. “My mom and I . . .” His throat closed up and he shook his head. “We got into a bit of an argument. I don’t feel like going back home at the moment.” He tucked his hands under his arms against his sides.

Sheila’s face softened, eyes going wide at the sight of him, all hunched up and watery eyes out of anger and frustration. “Of course you can, Chris. We’ll make room for you on the return trips, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay. Thanks for the help. I don’t have any place to go after this.”

“It’s fine. We’ll take this one step at a time. And the first one is getting to the boat. We leave in thirty minutes. Think you can be ready by then?”

“Absolutely.”

He returned to the boat with Sheila and allowed the manual labour to distract him and keep him focused on fishing. It worked. Thoughts of his mother never entered his head on that trip. The work exhausted him by the end of the day, putting him to sleep quickly and so heavily that he rarely dreamed. He returned home to Sheila’s apartment and slept on the couch. They made their meals together and coexisted peacefully as if they had been doing so already for years to come. Evelynn did not try to contact him, and Chris felt a bit worried about his mother whenever he was home. Perhaps he could go see her. They could talk things out.

But he was hurt by this. He was hurt that his mother couldn’t be straight forward; that she didn’t trust him enough or see him mature enough to handle the facts about his father. He was eighteen now. Legally he was a man. He could do what he wanted without her permission. So he decided to stay with Sheila for as long as he could.

Living with Sheila certainly didn’t change anything. If anything, they only became closer because of it. They talked more often, escaping to the top deck of the boat for privacy as Chris tied on his nightly piece of scrap metal to the boat ladder. He was happy he had someone to talk to about the ideas and issues running through his mind. He could let go of his burdens and revel in the fact that he was being heard.

When the off season came upon them, Chris was worried that Sheila might not want him to live with her for the months that they would be off. But she didn’t. In fact, she rearranged her room to accommodate them both in a more permanent manner. She bought a second bed and hung up a blanket between the two to create two separate spaces for them both. Chris helped her moved the furniture around.

“Well, I couldn’t have you sleeping on the couch forever,” she said. “Not good for your back.”

“Sure,” he replied. “You did it _for my back._ ”

She threw a pillow at him and told him to make the bed while she started dinner. He obeyed and straightened out the sheets. The bedroom wasn’t very big, but it was big enough to house them both comfortably.

They made weekly grocery trips to the small convenient store in town—the only place where people could buy fresh produce and the like. They made dinner together every night, taking turns to chop and watch the stove. He helped her with the paper work for the boat and crunching numbers for taxes. She gave him more responsibilities when it came towards boat repairs and supplies.

Their relationship evolved naturally over time and their new proximity. Chris was growing into his own, and perhaps now Sheila was seeing more in him; that he wasn’t just a kid anymore.

Their first kiss was something simple and a bit unexpected. It just happened. They were having dinner together and they were talking about nothing before Sheila leaned in and Chris followed and then it happened. And that was it.

Chris was a very tactile person. He preferred giving and receiving hugs and lending his support through physical means. While he used to be a shy and awkward teenager, he had eventually grown into his own and shared affection willingly with those he felt close with. It was only natural for Chris to become smitten by Sheila. And it looked like it was the same for her.

* * *

Perhaps it was due to their proximity. Living together. Working together. Sleeping together. In separate beds of course. It wasn’t like _that_ was going to happen any time soon. Chris didn’t even know what to call it. It wasn’t quite a relationship, but it was a step above a crush. It was something sweet, small, fragile. It was cute.

They could spend hours together just talking. Late at night when the apartment was quiet and the lights were off and it was just the two of them. They eventually pushed their beds together, abandoning the bedsheet walls and burrowing under the covers at night together. They shared kisses at night when it was just the two of them. Nothing more than a press of lips, only lightly parting them for a tease of tongue. They never went any further with that, and Chris never questioned why. It was perfect the way it was—whatever _this_ was.

When they set out, the crew definitely noticed the change of behaviour between them, but they never said anything. Chris and Sheila kept it professional, but it wasn’t like they had much to hide. If they bumped shoulders down in the kitchen and shared looks across the room, the crew never made a big deal over it. Work continued as usual and there was no need to call attention to something that wasn’t disruptive.

When Chris had the chance, he sought out Tom in the Bay. His free days were usually spent in prep mode, but Sheila had said they were caught up and had a few hours to spare, so she let the crew have them off. Tom was often glad for these impromptus visits because it meant they could be more physical if they wanted with the added privacy.

But something was off during this visit. After a hug and a kiss, Tom pulled back and frowned at Chris, fixing him with a cold look.

“You smell different,” he said, leaning close to sniff at Chris’s shirt before pushing off him entirely. “Someone else is on your skin. Who is it?”

Thinking it was nothing, Chris tried to assure Tom that it was probably because he was with the crew for the past week and smelled a bit ripe. “It’s just the crew. I live in close quarters with them.”

But Tom shook his head. “No. No, I know what you smell like when you’re on your boat, Christopher. Don’t lie to me! There is someone else in your life. I smell them on you. All over you. Why are you doing this? Who is it?”

 _Oh._ Now it made sense.

“Tom, it’s only Sheila. She’s my boss. I’m staying with her now. I don’t feel like going home at the moment.”

“ _Living with her_ you mean.” Tom shook his head and tensed his shoulders. “I thought we were exclusive. I would never go behind your back, Christopher. And now you find comfort in someone else’s arms? What am I to think of this?”

“It’s nothing, Tom,” Chris ground out. “Besides, why should we even worry about this? Soon you’ll get bored of me and move on. I have my own life to live, and in case you’ve forgotten, we are different species. Eventually we’ll both move on from this and find something and someone else to put our effort in.”

Tom’s jaw clenched and he looked away at the horizon, tail twitching in annoyance.

It was the truth, though. While Chris did enjoy what he had with Tom, he had to be truthful with himself. This was never going to last. Soon Chris would age and leave Tom behind, as sea creatures lived longer lives than humans. It was fact.

“I’m a human, Tom,” he said. “And I need to live a human life. I just hope you can accept that.”

Tom said nothing. He sat there, staring forlornly out over the water and shunning Chris entirely. Chris, fed up with the silence and disappointed that this was how they were leaving it, stood up and left the Mer there with his thoughts.

He returned to the apartment and was greeted at the door with a hug.

“You’re back early,” she said. “Did you have a good time out? Chris?”

He looked down at her. “Hmm? Oh, yeah. Right. Sorry. Bit tired right now. But, yeah, I had a good time out.”

“Good. I’ve got dinner on the stove. Robert and Daisy are coming over tonight, so help me set up the table, will you?”

“Sure.”

Dinner put Chris in a better mood that night. But he felt a small tinge of loneliness somewhere deep inside of him. And it didn’t feel right.

* * *

The boats that had been docked set out early the next morning in a cautious mood. Forecasters were calling for hurricane force winds and waves. There was a tropical storm sitting over the ocean. It would miss the village, but the boats on the open waters would have to tread carefully.

Sheila immediately took the time on prepping her crew on evacuation plans. Lifejackets, survival suits, life rafts. Everything. Chris could tell she was worried. Any seasoned captain would be with a storm in the vicinity of their fishing grounds. But the crew understood the direness of the situation and acted accordingly to relieve Sheila of any stresses or doubts she might’ve had.

After three days of fishing, the storm closed in. They pulled in their fishing lines and sealed everything up tight. They had their survival gear ready to go if need be. Sheila sent everyone down below and told them to stay put and keep calm. They would get through this.

The storm bore down on them around ten at night. The crew was quiet. They either sat in the kitchen or in their beds where they would get no sleep. Sheila was stuck in the boathouse, making sure they wouldn’t capsize and keeping them safe in every way that she could. Chris was tucked away in his bunk, twisting his ring around his finger and trying to make the knot in his stomach go away. He had never been through a storm like this before. This was hurricane weather according to Robert. They usually popped up this time of year, but over the two years that Chris had been a part of the crew he had never been through a storm like this. He was worried. When they were out here on the ocean, they were entirely at the mercy of nature. No doubt the sea creatures below them were waiting for one of the sailors to make a mistake and come tumbling down into the dark waters below.

He controlled his breathing to keep the panic at bay. He could hear Chad and Aileen chatting quietly in the kitchen. Wallace and Daisy were with Sheila, keeping her company and giving her advice. Robert was in the engine room, ensuring that everything was still running smoothly. Even though they all had been raised by the sea, no one was ever prepared enough for the raging storms that could come upon them without any warning.

It was somewhere around two in the morning when Chris felt it. With the boat still rocking dangerously, he hadn’t managed to fall asleep, but suddenly he felt the urge to go up on deck. No other thought ran through his mind other than he had to get to the water. It consumed him, urging him to his feet and driving him up onto the deck still being battered in rain by the storm. He slipped and fell upon the wet planks of the deck. The only light came from the wheelhouse, but everything else was dark, a pure void that seemed unescapable. He scrambled up onto his feet and got to the edge of the boat, the rain blinding him and stinging his skin. He gripped the edge tightly and looked down into the churning depths below.

“Chris!” someone yelled. “What the hell are you doing out there?!”

The words meant nothing to him. Something was calling at him from down below. The closer he got to the water, the stronger the pull. He braced his hands on the edge of the boat and got up onto the ledge.

“Get back inside, you idiot!”

He dropped into the water and was immediately swept under the waves. He floundered around for a bit until he heard it. It sounded like singing, like someone was holding a note. Then something touched his foot, slithering around both legs until he was caught tightly in a coil. Long nailed fingers caught his jaw and drew him to stare face to face at the Mer that had him captured. The singing cut off and instead the creature began to speak to him.

_Come with me_

_Where?_

_To the deep. Come with me. Stay with me. We can be together forever_

Chris’s lungs began to burn. He had to go up to get air. He needed to breathe, but the Mer around him swiped his lips with a thumb, causing all his worries to disappear once more.

_It’s all right. Do not worry. All will be well in time_

He was urged into a state of calm and peace. The Mer pressed closer to him, capturing his lips in a soft kiss. His lips parted under the pressure, the last of his breath escaping in small bursts of bubbles.

There was a new sound in the water around them. A fierce and splitting growl. The tight coil of the Mer’s tail suddenly released Chris. It was torn away by another Mer, and the two then engaged in a furious battle. Chris could hear the shrill screeches of the battle around him, but he didn’t listen for long. The breath was fully stolen from him. His limbs felt too heavy for him. Too heavy . . .

* * *

He died. He knew he died because there was a moment where nothing happened. He felt nothing. He knew nothing. And then he was yanked back into existence, and all he knew was pain and the sensation of everything flooding him at once.

The first thing he did was cough up the water in his lungs. It burned a path up his throat and onto the wet deck planks beneath him. His whole body heaved with the effort to get clean air in his lungs.

“Get him inside now!”

He was lifted up by his shoulders and legs and carried down below to the kitchen where he was seated at the padded benches. They stripped him of his soaking wet clothes and wrapped him up in layers of warm blankets. Daisy came to sit by him to dry and straighten his hair, getting it out of his eyes. The rest of the crew was gathered around him. Chad was dripping wet, shrugging into a dry shirt, teeth chattering. Sheila looked the most concerned. She leaned on her hands set on the table and looked Chris in the eye.

“What the hell were you thinking?” she asked, quiet enough to detect the concealed anger and desperation in her voice.

Chris shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“You jumped off the fucking boat!” Wallace exclaimed. “You would’ve died if Chad hadn’t pulled you out. What the hell was going through your head, Chris?”

Aileen quieted the cook with a gentle touch to his arm. “We need to know what’s wrong, Chris. You need to tell us.”

“I don’t know,” Chris replied, shaking and shivering from the cold and something else. He felt no like himself at that moment, like something was living inside of him. “I just felt like I was being pulled to the water.”

There was a ripple of disagreement through the room. Chad shook his head and Robert covered his mouth with his hand.

“We need to get the kid back to the docks before he gets himself or all of us killed,” Marc said to Sheila, touching her on her shoulder to get her to listen to him. “If he’s being pulled to the water, then something’s got a hold of him down there. I’ve heard about it before. He’s bad luck.”

The scar on Chris’s arm still throbbed angrily. He shuddered to think what that meant.

“That’s superstitious talk,” Daisy said. “Sea creatures don’t hang onto humans. They kill them straight away. Maybe Chris was just sleep walking.”

He huddled in on himself while the crew picked sides and argued their cases. He felt sick inside, uncomfortable in his own skin. Once Daisy had cleaned up his hair, he lay down on the padded bench as the rest of the crew talked about his fate on the boat and if they should take him back right away.

“Daisy,” said Sheila, sounding tired and frustrated. “Get Chris to his bunk. I’ll make the decision tomorrow. Just everyone get some sleep. Please.”

“Come on, Chris,” Daisy said. “Let’s get you to bed.”

Chris followed her blindly to his bunk and lay down, still shaking from the cold water and the shock. If he tried hard enough, he could still hear the crew talking about what they should do with him, but Daisy closed the door and piled even more blankets on top of him.

“Don’t listen to them. Sheila will figure this whole mess out.”

“Y-yeah. We’ll see.”

“Well, let’s look on the bright side of things. You’re still here. You’re still alive, and that’s all that really matters in the end. Are you all good here, Chris? Need anything to drink?”

Chris shook his head and thanked Daisy for her help. She left him on his bunk and shut the door to the room, leaving him with his turmoil.

If Sheila valued her crew, she would kick Chris off the boat without a doubt. He knew that. He knew she wouldn’t let him back on the boat. Many sailors had their superstitions in order to promote good sailing. The biggest one out there was avoiding contact with the sea creatures. If someone got tied up like Chris did, they should not be allowed back on the boat for fear of stalking. Sea creatures were possessive and would seek contact with their human at any moment. By default, Chris was putting the rest of the crew at risk. He was claimed by the sea. That meant he should stay as far away as possible from it for his own safety.

He eventually fell asleep, tired out and drained from his sudden dip in the ocean. When he woke up, the boat was still rocking more than they would like it, but he no longer heard the pattering of rain or the claps of thunder. Everyone had to be at work then, setting out lines to make up for lost time. As much as he wanted to work and be helpful, he thought it best to stay below decks. The rest of the crew probably wouldn’t want to work around him anymore.

Trapped in layers of hot and stifling blankets, Chris burrowed out of his nest and dug up some dry, clean clothes. He went to the kitchen to find something to eat and drink and decided to clean up a bit as means of being helpful. His clothes from last night had been hung up in the engine room to dry. He collected them and brought them back to his room when he overheard Sheila and Robert talking in hushed tones. He stood at his door and listened to what they had to say.

“You know what you have to do, right?” Robert asked. “Marc will walk and a bunch of others will follow him if you value Chris’s presence on this boat more than their safety.”

“Marc is a superstitious ass hat who would probably support the notion that women are bad luck on boats,” Sheila retorted.

“But you know what I’m getting at. The rest of us have noticed your relationship with Chris. If your fondness for him is clouding your judgement, you’ll find yourself without a crew to finish off the season. I don’t want to leave, but you have to make the right call. You know what you saw. He jumped off the boat willingly. He would’ve died. He said he felt pulled to the water. I don’t know what else you want, but I think it best that you leave him behind when we return.”

“Is that your final say in the matter?”

“I think Chris is a great person. He fits in well. He works hard. But he’s keeping secrets from us. If he doesn’t come straight, leave him at home. We can’t have him here as a problem.”

Sheila sighed, and neither spoke for a long time.  Chris held his breath.

“I’ll talk to him,” she finally said.

“That’s the least I can ask for.”

He heard Robert lumber off to return to the deck, but he didn’t hear Sheila walk off. Instead, he heard her make her way towards his room. She opened the door, giving him no time to pretend he didn’t hear what had transpired between her and Robert.

“I listened in,” he said.

“Well, it’s not like we can keep secrets on this boat for very long.” She smiled wryly, but it fell quickly. “I’m sorry, Chris.”

“It’s fine. Everything was going too well for me anyway, so I expected something like this was going to happen.”

She took a small step forward into his room. “What happened last night? You can tell me, Chris. I won’t hold anything against you.”

 _But you will,_ he thought. They all would. He was claimed by a Mer.

He shook his head. “I can’t tell you.”

“Are you sick?” she prompted. “We can get you to a good doctor in the city. Not the crazy coot we have in town. I care about you, Chris, and I’m really worried.”

“It’s nothing. Believe me, no doctor can fix me. So when are we expected to get back to town?”

“Oh, um, I figured some time tomorrow afternoon. The lines aren’t all that full this time around due to the storm. It won’t take us long to haul everything in. Take it easy for now, okay? We’ll be back home soon enough.” She smiled reassuringly, but Chris didn’t return it. She left soon after, and Chris retreated to his bunk for the rest of the day and night, eating only when the others had finished.

They returned to the docks in good time and in the midst of repairs. The hurricane had left its marks on the village. Many boats, both large and small, had been damaged and partially sunk. There were flotsam and jetsam strewn upon the docks. Sheila managed to dock her boat properly and get the process of unloading everything properly. Chris was busy packing up his belongings and making sure he was leaving nothing behind. He walked up the stairs and onto the deck, bypassing the rest of the crew and heading towards the dock.

“Chris, wait.” Sheila stopped him before he could make his escape. “I’m sorry about this. But the crew—”

“I understand. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah. See you tonight.”

They didn’t hug or kiss farewell. Something like that would be inappropriate with their crewmates around. Especially with recent developments.

Chris left and dropped off his stuff at the apartment, feeling restless. He decided to go take a walk around town and see if he could help with the cleanup in any way. Storm shutters had protected the glass in windows from being shattered. Most of the shops had been closed up and would remain so until all the debris was cleared. He helped out where he could, slowly making his way through town and making himself useful. Idly, he wondered how long his secret would last, how long it would take for word to get out that Chris was claimed by something from the sea. It was only a matter of time.

When he did what he could, he returned to the apartment for something to eat and to start a load of laundry. The call came to him suddenly and with great urgency.

_Come to the pool, Chris. I need you. Bring medicinal supplies with you if you can_

Chris sighed and took out the first aid kit from the bathroom. He took what he thought he needed in a bag and headed out of the apartment. Sheila would probably wonder where he went. She would ask him about it tonight, but he felt like if he saw Tom, he could get some answers about what was happening to him.

On the way to the Bay, he passed by his old house. He stopped and looked down at it, wondering if his mother was home. He saw that some of the roof shingles had been blow off, exposing the plywood underneath. The shutters were still covering the windows, locked securely in place. There were drifts of sand at the edges of the house. Those should be swept away.

The door opened. Evelynn came out with a broom and began sweeping away the piles of sand. Chris felt compelled to go over and help her. She wouldn’t be able to fix that roof by herself, but when she turned, he fled and kept walking towards the Bay, hoping she wouldn’t see him.

He made his way to the Bay in good time, walking around the piles of ocean junk that had been washed far up onto the beach. Along the way, he was thinking of what he was going to say to Tom. They hadn’t left each other on good terms last they saw each other, and Chris was still conflicted as to where they were going. He didn’t know what do, but when he came up to the pool and found Tom lying on the edge, curled up in a miserable ball, all thoughts of that last, disastrous meeting fled his mind.

Tom looked horrible. He was sporting cuts and bruises, marking up his pale skin. Chunks of scales that looked like they’d been torn out left his tail covered in raw patches. .

“Oh my god,” Chris murmured, dropping down into the pool and kneeling by Tom’s side. He cupped his face and stroked back the wet, slightly curled hair. “Tom?”

Tom groaned, and his eyelids fluttered. They blinked open and focused on Chris immediately, hands coming up to grip his wrists loosely. “Christopher. I’m so glad you’re here.” He rested their foreheads together and breathed in his scent. “You’re all right,” he said, running his hands down Chris’s face, neck, and arms. “You’re not hurt?”

Surprised that Tom wasn’t bitter about their last meeting, Chris shook his head. “I’m fine, but are you okay?”

Tom looked a little worse for wear. He was sporting several bite marks on his neck strategically placed by his gills. There were scratch marks all over his face, especially at his eyes. Most worryingly of all were the tears in the delicate webbing of Tom’s tail fin.

“I’ve been worse off,” he replied. “I just need to know you’re all right. And you are?”

Chris nodded, setting the first aid kit on the edge of the pool. He dug out some wipes and a bottle of disinfectant. “Just roughed up a bit. I’ll be fine. I just want to know what happened.”

“You were pulled into the water, yes?” Chris nodded. “I was following you. I saw the storm and decided to stay close by to your ship in case you got into trouble, but it seemed like someone was already prowling after you. They used the Song. It called to you, pulled you out of your bed and into the water below. I came to you just in time before they took your Final Breath. I only had time to pull them away from you.”

Chris dabbed at the cuts, starting with the small ones on Tom’s face. He methodically cleaned the cuts, applying a thicker paste to the larger cuts, while Tom winced and fidgeted.

“What’s the Song?” he asked, tending to Tom’s back.

“It’s what all sea creatures use to call to each other. Usually it can’t be registered by human ears, well, unless they’re . . .” He drifted off, and Chris felt like he was leaving something out on purpose. “Never mind about that now,” he said. “I’m just happy you’re all right. I was so worried about you. I thought I would lose you. Forever.” He winced when Chris cleaned the bites on his neck, gills rippling at the close and partially unwanted contact.

“I’m fine, Tom, honestly. Now let’s get you cleaned up.”

He spent the better part of an hour going over every scrape and scratch on Tom’s body. The Mer seemed a lot more hurt than he was letting on. The tears in his tail concerned Chris the most. He didn’t know if they would be able to heal. Tom wouldn’t be able to swim or move around very much. The quick movements might tear the rips even further.

“You can’t swim, can you?” Chris asked after a thorough inspection of his tail.

“Well, I can. It would just be slow going. Plus other creatures might like to pick me off while they can. I don’t exactly have a lot of friends out there. They would probably like to see me dead so they could come find you. I expect I’ll be stuck here for a week or two.”

“I wouldn’t mind that.” It would give Chris something to do now that he was no longer allowed on the boat. Plus it would give them ample time to repair their relationship and discuss what was happening. “I could look after you while you heal. I can fish for you and help you with whatever you need. Will you be safe here? In this pool?”

“It’s all right, during low tide. But the others know where I lurk. I won’t be able to fend them off forever.”

“I could make you a pool up on the beach where they wouldn’t be able to get you. That way I can set myself up beside you, watch over you at night.”

“Mm. I like the sound of that.”

“Great. Um, just stay put for now? I guess? I’ll come back for you when I’ve got the pool set up properly.”

Tom whined as Chris pulled away, leaving him in pain and curled in a ball of misery.

“I’ll be back soon,” Chris promised as Tom moaned and complained.

“Nooooo.” He tried grabbing Chris before he left, but Chris jumped out of his reach just in time.

“Oh, hush. I’ll be back. Just sit tight.”

“I have nowhere else to go, Christopher.”

Chris smiled and left, heading back into town as fast as he could to pick up some supplies. He found some tarp and a spade he could use to dig with and also a bucket. He returned to the beach and found a spot where he could make the pool for Tom. It was secluded with rocky barriers on either side to hide it from any passer byers on land.

He started digging in the sand not too far from the water, but far enough so that any sea creature passing by would think twice about crawling their way up the beach. He dug down far enough and wide enough for Tom to sit comfortably in. He pressed the tarp into the hole and found some rocks to keep the edges down. Finally he took up the bucket and carried it back and forth from ocean to the pool. Once it was filled, he walked back over to Tom’s pool and announced that his new home was ready.

“Carry me?” Tom said, pouting and holding out his arms.

Chris sighed and opened up his arms for Tom to roll into. He wrapped his arms around Chris’s neck and held on tightly while Chris picked him up and carried him out of the pool and into the water below. The tide was low enough for Chris to reach the murky bottom and carry Tom with ease to the shoreline. Once they were out of the water, Chris noticed how heavy Tom was. He grunted and lifted Tom out of the water it fell to his knees.

“I’m not _that_ heavy,” Tom said, dismissing Chris’s struggles to hold onto his slippery tail.

He dumped Tom in the pool as carefully as he could. Tom twirled around in his new home, dipping his hands in the water and running them over his tail. “This will suffice,” he said, lifting his hands to inspect his nails. Some were cracked and others had been torn off.

“I should cut those for you,” Chris said. “Let them grow back straight.” He sat on the edge of the pool, watching Tom as he surveyed his new set up.

“Maybe,” was all he said on the matter. “I’m hungry. Find me something to eat.”

Chris crossed his arms.

“Please?” Tom added.

Chris smiled. “All right. Any requests?”

Tom shook his head. “None at all. Thank you.”

Chris left him once more and went looking for some shell fish that would be easy to bring back. He brought more than enough to keep Tom fed and full until he went fishing for him again. He returned with a shirt full of mussels. With a knife he had, he opened up the mussels and fed Tom by hand. Tom, being the reckless flirt he was, took every opportunity to swipe his tongue across Chris’s fingers, snatching up the meat as delicately and sensually as possible.

“You could just take it out of my hands,” Chris said as he popped open another mussel.                               

“Where’s the fun in that? Besides. We’re a _couple_ , aren’t we?” he asked with slight trepidation in his voice. “Human couples like doing things together like feeding each other. We are a couple and now we are feeding each other. What could be more romantic?”

He fed Tom the next piece of mussel and bent down low. “I have a lot of other ideas that are _way_ more romantic than feeding each other by hand.”

Tom grinned. “I’d like to hear those ideas.”

Chris set down the shells and the knife and slid down into the pool with Tom. He set his legs over his tail and pressed their chests together, taking his shirt off to feel that glorious skin on skin contact. Tom rumbled appreciatively at the sight. Chris bent his head and slotted their lips together, opening his to allow Tom’s tongue entrance. Tom brought up his hands and raked his remaining nails down Chris’s back, setting them on his neck and lower back to keep him pressed close.

“Not too much now,” Chris said when he pulled away for a breath. “Not until you’re healed.”

Tom whined and complained, rocking his hips underneath Chris’s legs. “Nooooo.”

“When you get better,” Chris said as he dropped his hands to hold Tom’s hips still, “I promise to give you a nice long ride. Does that sound fair?”

“I guess it’ll have to do.”

“Good. For today I’ll take care of everything. You just sit back and take it easy.”

Chris maneuvered them so Tom was sitting on his lap and against his chest. Tom contented himself to lie back and enjoy Chris’s ministrations, purring as his hands worked over his chest and down his stomach, massaging the softer scales beneath his belly button. Tom’s tail flicked as Chris continued his ministrations. The scales eventually parted, Toms cock beginning to rise from the slit.

Chris had become increasingly interested with Tom’s physiology. No one knew much about sea creatures other than the scientists in the cities. But villages like Chris’s cared little for the word of science and continued to do what they always did. With Tom in his lap like this, responding to his gentle touches, he was treated to a sight rarely got to see.

He stroked Tom’s cock with his right hand and continued to massage the scales around his slit with the other. “You’re very sensitive here,” he said. “I wonder if there are any other spots that get you like this.”

His free hand went further down and felt another patch of softer scales. When he felt around it, one of his fingers pressed down, and the slit opened up around the tip of his finger. Tom jerked forward, a soft cry bursting from his lips. Chris continued to investigate the new opening, which seemed to be even more sensitive than the area around Tom’s cock. He pressed a finger in experimentally, feeling the soft inner walls immediately clamping down around the digit.

“Do you have a cunt, Tom?” he asked quietly, lips brushing against Tom’s ear. He pumped his finger in and out slowly, stroking Tom off at the same pace. Tom whimpered in response, and Chris took it as a yes.

Tom hid his face in Chris’s neck, continuing to whimper and shiver as Chris eased a second finger in. Overstimulation and overworked, Tom did not last long. His orgasm came over him in waves, leaving him exhausted and boneless in Chris’s arms. His cunt started to tighten around Chris’s fingers, but not in the fluttering, pleasurable manner. He pulled them out and watched the slit close up and Tom’s cock disappear beneath the scales. The scales closed evenly together, and soon it was hard to determine if there had ever been an opening there in the first place. Chris raised his arms and wrapped them around Tom’s torso, holding him close as he recovered from the stimulation and post-orgasmic haze.

“That good enough for you?”

Tom nodded and stretched out as much as he could in the makeshift pool. “Mm-hm. It was wonderful, Christopher. Thank you. I haven’t experienced something like that in a long time. You’re very considerate.” He tipped up his head and kissed Chris on the chin before settling down once more.

Chris felt like he had to address the issue now rather than let it wait and fester. While he knew the both of them had moved on from the issue quite well, it just seemed like they covered up their problems with sex because that was all their relationship consisted of.

“Tom,” he said.

“Mm?” was the sleepy reply.

“About last time. I was upset with you when you asked me about my relationship with Sheila. But I do mean what I say. We can’t be together forever.”

Tom sighed heavily. “I know. I understand that, and I can’t stop you from trying to live your life. I guess I just wanted to deny the inevitability that you would eventually leave me. But not yet, as it seems. Thank you for coming to me. I know you don’t have any obligations towards me anymore, but I appreciate it none the less.”

“I’ll always come to help you if you need it. Always. Even if we move on from each other, I’ll be there when you need me.”

“Such a sweet boy you are. Thank you.”

Silence fell and Chris felt like the air was much lighter around them. Perhaps they needed some time apart.

He stayed until the water grew too cold and the sun had set, knowing that he would have to return home soon or risk a bad cold. He woke Tom gently and said he had to go.

“You should stay here,” Tom said, curling up in his lap. “Stay with me and sleep here. Together.”

“Not tonight. I’ll bring some of stuff tomorrow so we can sleep together then. All right?”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

They kissed, and Tom reluctantly let Chris go, watching him from the edge of the pool as Chris walked down the beach and out of sight. He returned the next day after seeing Sheila off and gathering some supplies.

“Will you be all right by yourself?” she asked as they scrubbed the breakfast dishes together.

“I’ll be fine,” he replied. “It’s not like I haven’t done this before.”

“I know. I know. I’m just worried about you. People might ask questions. They might start jumping to conclusions now that you’re no longer on a boat. “

Chris shrugged. “I’ll just tell them that I wasn’t feeling well for this trip. I’ll keep my head down. It’s not like this hasn’t happened before.”

“And if word gets out that you were pulled into the water?”

“I’ll just deny it all. You don’t have to worry. I’ve got this under control.”

Sheila sighed and leaned against the counter, dropping the dish towel. “I know. I just don’t want to leave you like this on your own. I’d rather be there and help you out with this.”

“You only have a month left of the season. We can figure something out when you’re home for more than a day.”

“All right. See you in a few.” She kissed him and dried her hands before going to pick up her bag at the door. “Bye.”

“Have a good trip,” he called out.

He waited to leave after Sheila was long gone with the crew. He used his duffle bag to carry with him two blankets, some matches, nail clippers and file, the first aid kit with some added supplies, food and water, and a shiny trinket for Tom. He also pulled out his surfboard from underneath the beds. He might as well take advantage of not being on the boat during the good surfing weather. On the way to the beach, he picked up some fishing supplies, like a pole and tackle box. He wouldn’t be able to feed Tom on mussels alone.

Tom wasn’t in the best mood when he arrived at the Bay. He had his arms crossed on the edge of the pool, his brow furrowed and his lips turned down in a scowl.

“Where were you?” he asked as Chris set down his belongings. “You should’ve been here hours ago.”

“Sorry about that. I had to get my stuff together.”

“Doesn’t make up for the fact that you left me here in this tiny pool. All by myself, I might add.”

“I was going to freeze last night, Tom.”

“No, you weren’t. That’s just a silly human concept that you get colds after staying in the water too long.”

“Which has happened to me before. Several times.”

Tom waved him off and sulked in his pool.

“You’re just grumpy because you haven’t eaten in over twelve hours,” Chris said, picking up his fishing gear. “Stay put, and I’ll bring back a feast. And in the meantime, I brought a gift you can enjoy while I’m away.” He pulled out the small, polished pocket mirror he took with him and reverently placed it in Tom’s limp hands—limp because he was being difficult. He opened up the mirror so Tom could see himself in the reflective surface. Tom chanced a look and soon became enraptured with the trinket.

“Thank you,” he said begrudgingly, still refusing to look Chris in the eye, but at least it was a step forward.

Chris left him and went to find a quiet spot that would yield a good catch. He was a bit out of touch with fishing with a pole, but the fish were lively that morning and took up Chris’s bait eagerly. He tossed back the small ones and brought three fair sized fish back to Tom, who was still preening with the aid of the small pocket mirror.

“A feast for my benevolent lord,” Chris announced as he sat back down at the edge of the pool and offered Tom the fish he had caught.

Tom, putting the mirror away, spread his arms over the edge of the pool and gave Chris a haughty look. “Benevolent?” he asked. “You think me benevolent?”

“When you’ve had something to eat, yes. And if your loyal subject is in debt to you and means to pay you off in a suitable fashion.”

“You still left me alone here.”

“I’m not getting into this discussion with you again, so eat up and I’ll carry you to the water so you can clean up. Sound like a plan?”

“Hmph.”

Chris rolled his eyes and set the fish down at the edge of the pool before heading off to find some firewood and other things he could burn tonight. Upon his return, Tom had gobbled up the fish until nothing was left other than a pile of guts and skeletons with the tails and heads intact.

“Christopher, take me out of this pool now. I need to stretch.”

“Can I have a please with that?”

“No.”

Chris sighed and bent down to pick up Tom in his arms and carry him to the shallows where he could wash himself and stretch out. During that time, Chris emptied the pool by removing the tarp and settling it back down to let the old water be soaked up by the sand underneath. He reshaped the hole and replaced the tarp and rocks holding down the edges. He was a little concerned when he walked to the water to fill up his bucket and didn’t see Tom. After a few moments, he saw his head pop up where the waves began to crest. He dipped back underneath the waves, and Chris returned to the task at hand and refilled the pool with clean water. Once Tom had his fun, he returned to the shore line and relaxed where the water washed up lazily on the sand. Chris took the opportunity to take out his surfboard and enjoy himself for once while his Mer companion continued to sulk at a small slight.

Surfing was spectacular. He rarely got time to surf these days with the busy fishing season and the cold waters of the off season. He found that he missed it greatly. He fell a few times before he found his footing and his balance. Soon he was surfing like he’d always done. The times he swam out on his board he caught Tom sitting up and watching him from the beach. The sight made Chris blush. Clearly, Tom found him enticing to watch.

When he was sufficiently tired out and gasping for breath, he paddled back to the shore, tossed his board up further onto the sand and collapsed in the surf. Tom came up beside him and crowded over him, bracing his hands on either side of his head.

“You move very fluidly through the water, Christopher,” he said, the tips of their noses brushing together. “Almost like you belong to it.” He kissed Chris on the upper lip and set his head down upon his chest. “I can hear it, you know, faintly.”

Chris closed his eyes and set a hand on Tom’s back. “Hear what?” he asked absently.

“The Song of the Sea. You’ve been touched by the Sea, Christopher. I can hear it. Just here.” He tapped the spot just over Chris’s heart.

“What does it sound like?”

“Oh, you can’t put words to the Song, Christopher. It is something abstract. Something you sense with your entire being.”

“Does the Song exist in all people?”

“No. Only in those who were born in the sea have it. Those who were born _of_ the sea.”

Chris opened his eyes and frowned. “Then what does that say about me?”

Tom ‘hmmed.’ “That you’re special and have been blessed by the sea. I knew you were perfect.” He snuggled down on top of Chris and purred softly.

When Chris complained he was getting cold, they moved back to the pool and shared lunch. Afterwards, Tom was content to turn his face towards the sun and close his eyes while Chris trimmed and filed his nails down.

“That thing we did last night,” Chris said, making idle conversation.

“What about it?” Tom asked, not opening his eyes.

Chris didn’t know how to phrase the question. It might’ve been too personal, but he really wanted to know. “Are your people dual sexed?”

Tom smirked. “Jumping right to the issue, aren’t we, darling?  Well, I knew this would come up eventually, and the truth is yes. My people are born with both sexes. All sea creatures are.”

“Oh.” He felt heat creeping up his neck, and it wasn’t from the sun all day. “So, that thing I did last night. Was that okay?”

Tom opened his eyes and rolled his head to face Chris. “If I didn’t like what you were doing, I would have told you to stop. Besides, I enjoyed myself. The others I’ve been with were never daring enough to explore other possibilities.”

“Do you mean other humans or other Mers?”

“A little of both. Mers often fight to claim each other, to mate. I’m not one to be dominated by my own kind. Not exactly the easiest to win over.”

“Is that why you like spending more time with humans than with your own people?”

“Partially. I’ve watched humans from afar for so long. They all had their little families and enjoyed the company of each other rather than live solitary lives. I supposed that is one of the biggest differences between our species. You prefer comfort among others rather than solitude.”

“And what do you prefer, Tom?”

“I prefer companionship and something that’s long lasting. My people rarely mate for life. My dam left me as soon as I was able to feed myself. I never knew my sire. And I guess I wanted something more than just a fleeting moment.”

Chris set aside the nail files and clippers and lay down on his side. “And have you found something lasting yet?”

“Yes,” he said with strong conviction. “I feel pulled to you, Christopher. I have since the first day we met. I want you, _need_ you as my mate. I want no one else.” He was sitting up with his hands on the edge of the pool. He looked so desperate, so vulnerable in that moment. He was starved of affection and seeking something—someone—that would make his life worth living.

Tom wanted him, needed him, adored him, cared for him, fought for him, protected him, held him up above everything else, and loved him more than anything. He was scared to lose him, and Chris didn’t have the heart to leave him no matter what would happen. He would always be a part of his life. They were mates; they were lovers.

Chris sat down in the pool with Tom and straddled his waist. They kissed, eyes closing and hands roaming.

“I’m never going to leave you,” Chris said, eyes flicking up. “Ever. I love you. You’ve actually shown that you care for me. I’m not just a toy to you. You don’t use me or lie to me. You’ve always been there for me. And whatever happens to us will happen. But for now I’ll be here for you.”

Tom leaned forward and rested his head on Chris’s collarbone. His hands roamed over his bare back. “Oh, Christopher,” he said. “I promise I will never ever do anything to make you doubt your trust in me.”

And to Chris that equalled a declaration of love.

* * *

After their passionate declarations of love for each other, Chris went to catch more food for the both of them while Tom pulled himself out of the pool and sunned himself on the sand. Chris returned with enough food for them both and started a fire to cook his. Tom took his own share of fish and ate them quietly, keeping his back towards Chris as he ate. Might’ve been an instinctual thing to hide away when he ate to protect his food.

Chris managed to fry his fish with only burning the hair on his hands. He ate his fill and began to make his bed for the night after carrying Tom into water so he could stretch out before going to bed.

“Christopher! I’m ready to come in now!”

Tom was needy. There was no denying that, but Chris liked being able to take care of him. He liked it when Tom curled up in his arms and flung his hands around his neck. When Tom sought out contact, he wanted Chris to give him his full attention and to have his hands on him. Chris always willingly obliged.

He set Tom down in the pool and padded to his bed for the night, throwing on a few more chunks of wood to keep the fire going. He listened to Tom swishing around in his pool to get into his sleeping position, which was a curled up ball underneath the surface of the water. From the dim light of the crackling fire and the pale moon of the light, Chris would sometimes lean over the edge of the pool and watch Tom as he slept—completely safe and happy. His gills fluttered evenly as he breathed, face slack and muscles loose. He looked cute when he slept—nothing at all like the mean predator he had been raised to fear.

Chris turned onto his back and closed his eyes. He felt stupidly in love and wished this feeling would never go away.

* * *

The tears on Tom’s tail seemed to be self-healing. There was a crust forming over the tears to keep the flaps of skin together while the cells grew back. It was all very interesting to watch, plus it alleviated any concerns Chris had that Tom would not fully recover. The scratches on his body were scabbing over and the patches of missing scales were starting to fill out with new growth. He was starting to complain about being cooped up in the pool and whenever Chris had to go back to town for food supplies and the like.

“A few more days,” Chris said one day. “I don’t want the tears on your tail to split when you head out for good.”

Tom grumbled and showed Chris his back in retaliation. “I want to leave _now,_ Christopher.”

“Nope. Not today. Patience, darling. You’ll be back in the open ocean soon enough.”

It was harder said than done. As the days went by, Tom became increasingly agitated. He had no outlet to expend any energy. So he turned to the nearest option he had: Chris. He was much more grabby and handsy, always trying to pull Chris into the pool with him where they would spend countless hours just kissing and touching each other. Their intimacy had reached new depths to the point where being separate for a mere hour seemed too long. Tom seemed insistent on getting what Chris promised him, constantly reminding him and begging him to make good on his oath.

“Now,” he insisted one afternoon, yanking on Chris’s arm. “It has to be _now._ ”

“Okay, okay,” Chris said. “Pushy, pushy.”

They were lazing about in the surf that day. Chris assumed a state of near permanent shirtlessness while in the Bay. It made it easier to take of his clothes when he only had to worry about his shorts. Tom often scoffed at him for clothing himself when it was just the two of them, but Chris insisted on some modesty and at least wore shorts.

Tom was now beneath him, looking smug about the fact that he was finally getting what he wanted. Chris settled down on top of him and smiled.

“Do you think you deserve this?” he asked, rolling his hips and rocking down on Tom’s lap.

“Have I not done everything you asked? Gone by your rules even though I could have very well left long ago?”

“It was for your health, Tom.”

“Neh. All trivial. Now kiss me.”

Chris obliged.

The position was new for the both of them. Tom often liked taking control and pushing into Chris from above. This position was a little gentler for the both of them. Chris was able to control to speed and the depth of the thrusts, taking Tom’s cock until the wide base of it pressed against his rim painfully until he lifted off.

Tom seemed to be enjoying the change in position. He wasn’t trying to take control. He enjoyed the laziness of it all. He wrapped his hands around his back and rocked in time with Chris. It was a slow, sweet orgasm they were brought to. They tumbled onto their sides in the surf, holding each other and kissing softly. It was by far the sweetest and gentlest sex Chris had ever had with Tom. It made him smile so much that his cheeks hurt.

“Thank you, Christopher,” Tom said, kissing his forehead. “You spoil me.”

“I do aim to please.”

“And you do. Always going the extra mile. My sweet, sweet boy.”

* * *

Tom was much better now. He was spending more time out in the water, stretching out and enjoying his returned strength. Chris was able to go back to the village and do some household chores for when Sheila came home in a few days. He eventually dismantled the makeshift pool, and they returned to using their old one for short day visits.

The past week that Chris had been looking after Tom had been some of the best. They had never spent so much time together. It was nice to see Tom more than once a month and for longer than a few hours.

It was the day before Sheila and the crew came back that Tom came to him with a request. They were swimming in the calmer waters around the Bay, twined around each other and enjoying what little time they had left together.

“I have something to ask you,” Tom said. “In two weeks the full moon will be upon us. Every full moon is special to my people, the Mer. Our mating cycles follow the phases of the moon. It’s to be the longest night for me every month.”

“What do your people do on those nights?”

“Well, we fight and then we fuck. We fight for dominance in order to establish who is the breeder and who is bred. We gather together in droves and fight for who we find pleasing. And then we fuck all the night through until the urge is gone. And then we go our separate ways.”

“And what do you want me to do about this?”

Tom shifted behind him, his tail tightening and loosening. “I don’t want to spend the night with any of my kind. I would like to spend it with you—if you would have me.”

It felt like Tom was asking him to have sex for the very first time. Chris felt honored that he was even asking.

“Have you ever asked any other humans this before?” he asked.

“No,” Tom replied. “This night is meant to be special among my people. I would never ask just _any_ human to join me. Only those I think I can connect to on an intimate level and I know that can take me and have the stamina to keep up with me. And I only came up with one answer: you.” He nuzzled Chris’s temple and ran his lips over the shell of his ear.

“What will happen if I say yes?” The thought of fucking through the night seemed exciting on one end, but quite intimidating. He knew about Tom’s sexual appetite and how rough he could be. Seeing him in his sexual prime would be . . . something. Terrifying. Wonderful. Electric.

“You will come to me when the sun sets. I will meet you on the beach. We will fuck until I am sated. Then we will sleep and I will look after you. It is a very trying time, even for my people.”

So he had a bit of a choice here if he wanted to spend a long night with Tom or leave him to deal with his horny kin.

“And if I said no?” he asked. He wanted to know if it would still be an enjoyable night for Tom or something he would rather run from.

“Then I guess I’ll take my place among my people. No harm done. No need to feel guilty.”

“Do you enjoy these nights?”

Tom was quiet for a worrying amount of time. “I enjoy some of them. It depends on who’s there and what role you have to assume. The larger Mer almost always overpower the smaller, and dominance is established. I don’t like being bred. I’m very particular about the types of things I allow to have done to me.”

“Have you ever been . . . bred?”

“Impregnated?”

Chris blushed. “Yeah.”

“No. While the night of the full moon means we are at our peak to bear pups, not all do. Besides, I don’t think I’d like to have pups with the way I live. I would want to raise them up proper in a loving environment. But we are getting off topic now. Will you join me on the night of the Frenzy?”

Tom let him have him a few moments to think about his answer in peace. He was, to be honest, interested in spending the night with him. Delighted, in fact, that Tom would even consider asking him in the first place.

“Yeah, okay,” Chris said. “I’d love to join you.”

Tom laughed. “You might regret that later, darling.”

* * *

There was only one more trip in the fishing season. The hauls were already starting to thin out and the waters were starting to take on a colder feel. Yet again, the village was getting ready for the off season and the return of the sailors. Chris helped where he could, trying to remain inconspicuous as to why he wasn’t on a boat. So far no one had asked why he was on shore, but he was certainly getting a few odd looks. He hoped no one of the crew said anything while they were on leave.

Sheila returned in good spirits, happy that the trip had gone well and that they were getting their quota. He waited for her on the dock, out of sight of the crew as they unloaded the full stores. He thought it best that the crew not see him. He didn’t know what their thoughts on him were. Thinking of it made his stomach twist. He didn’t like the feeling.

Sheila finally came on the docks with her heavy duffle bag swinging at her side. He took it from her with a smile and gave her a side hug.

“Welcome back,” he said. “Good trip.”

“Fantastic trip,” she said as they fell in step together. “No storms. No rough waters. No breakdowns. I couldn’t have asked for a better trip.”

“Sounds like everything is going just fine then.”

“Oh, don’t get all misty on me now. It’s almost the end of the season. Once everyone’s had some time to blow off some steam and some cash, I bet you’ll be back on when the next season starts up.” She nudged him as they walked along. He returned it.

“Yeah, we’ll see.”

It was nice to have Sheila around again. There was constant chatter through the whole night, Chris starved for human interaction and news about the trip. Being with Tom was great, but being around his own _people_ was another thing. This was his life. This was where his livelihood was. Here he felt at home. This _was_ his home.

They caught some part of some city game on the TV that night and went to bed when Sheila could no longer keep her eyes open.

He missed her. He missed this closeness, this heat they shared in bed. Recently, he felt off somehow. He felt unmoored. Everything that used to bring him joy now seemed lacklustre. Now that he was no longer working—and probably wouldn’t be able to get another job in this village if word got out of his midnight dip—he had the sudden urge to travel and explore. He had a bit of money saved away now. He could do it. He could hop on a ferry or a supply truck and go far away from here. Maybe it was what he needed: a fresh start somewhere else.

Chris woke up before Sheila the next day and made breakfast for her in bed. They enjoyed a quiet, lazy morning together before she had to take a shower and get her belongings together.

“A week and a half,” she said. “Then I’m all yours.”

He smiled. “Sounds wonderful.”

He saw her off at the boat, keeping out of sight of the rest of the crew.

“You don’t have to be scared of them,” she said, rubbing his arm. “They don’t hate you.”

“But they’re probably not fond of me.”

“Chris, listen. They are still your friends. This isn’t going to change anything.”

“I know.” He shuffled on his feet. “I just feel like I’m an outsider again. They won’t look at me the same way.”

She turned him to face her, gripping his shoulders and squeezing gently. “Don’t say that. It was just bad luck. That’s all. You’ll be back on the boat next season. It’ll give them a break and get their head in the game, all the stress leaving after a long vacation. You’ll see.”

“Yeah. We’ll see.”

They hugged for long and hard before they heard Robert yelling Sheila’s name.

“Have to go now,” she said stepping away and hefting her bag. “Take care of yourself, yeah?”

“Of course. I’ll see you later.”

“Goodbye.”

Chris watched her hop onto her boat and join the crew. A few of them saw him and waved. He waved back out of politeness and then turned away to go back home and clean up the kitchen.

Another day being spent trapped in this tiny, miserable place.

* * *

When the night of the full moon approached, Chris took time to get everything he needed together. He brought some food with him, medical supplies, clean clothes, blankets, matches, and some lube. He decided to pre-stretch before he headed out, taking the time to use the lube to prepare himself for the long night. He wanted to spare himself as much pain as possible is he could.

He left when the sun was just beginning to set. Tom wasn’t at their usual spot on the beach when he arrived, so he set up camp and sat huddled in blankets as he waited for Tom. It was colder this night. There was a stiff breeze that blew off the water from time to time. He started his fire when the sun set. The moon glared bright upon the sand and water. It was very eerie, sitting there alone and not knowing when Tom would show up.

As the moon rose, strange noises began to come from the water. It was the same screeching he had heard the night he jumped from the boat. The sounds of splashing water—not caused by waves—was also a sure sign that something was out there. A whole lot of somethings.

Tom arrived shortly after the water became active. He called to Chris loudly, urging him into the water until he feel to his knees and was kissed, lips parting and breath stolen as Tom overpowered him and drove him onto his back.

When they parted, Chris noted how dark Tom’s eyes were. Like humans, Mer eyes darkened with arousal to the point where the whites of the eyes were covered entirely. The night of the Frenzy—the night of the full moon—drove Merfolk into near madness, heating their blood and urging them to come together in packs and expend their energy in two ways: fighting or fucking. Throughout the entire night they would be active until the light of the moon waned and was overpowered by the sun. Their darkened eyes gave them the advantage of seeing each other during the Frenzy.

“Take your clothes off,” Tom growled. “Now.”

This wasn’t the Tom who usually visited Chris. This one was stronger, edgier. He felt colder, but he was unavoidable. If he were human, he would’ve drawn the attention of everyone in the room. He was dark and brooding, emitting the confidence of someone who knew how attractive and powerful he was. Chris took off his clothes immediately, tossing the sopping wet material up onto the beach.  

Tom’s cock was already exposed when Chris laid himself on his back with his legs spread to accommodate Tom between them. He was glad he decided to prep beforehand because Tom immediately thrust inside him, not even pausing to consider his well-being. There was pain at first, but Tom was still coherent enough to know he should start slow and gentle before he became rougher.

Tom came fast and hard, holding Chris still as copious amounts of seed spilled into him. That familiar pressure the he always experienced with Tom returned, filling him until he felt like he would burst. Tom pulled out for the first of many couplings. This first time only took the edge off of the Frenzy. Chris could feel the bruises forming on his inner thighs and where Tom held him down by his shoulders and hips.

“Oh, Christopher,” Tom said, laying heavily on Chris’s chest. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you. Oh, you feel so good.” He seized Chris’s lips in another bruising kiss, sharp teeth grazing over his reddened lips. “So good.”

“Mmph. Tom, do you think you could get off my chest? Kind of having trouble breathing.”

“Yes, of course.”

He slid off of Chris’s chest and curled up against his side, tail wrapping around one leg. They enjoyed a short moment of peace before Tom made a noise of want and shifted against Chris’s hip. A trail of slick was left against his skin from Tom’s cock.

“Christopher,” he breathed, shifting impatiently to get more friction, but it was a bit too soon for Tom to take him again. Even though he didn’t climax, he was fully aware of how sensitive he was between his thighs. Too much and he would tear, something he couldn’t afford.

“Here,” Chris said. “Let me just . . .” He twisted so their chests were pressed together, erections brushing against each other. Even the slightest touch seemed to spur Tom on. He thrust frantically against Chris, grinding their cocks together and creating a slick mess between them. Tom craned his head forward and latched onto Chris’s neck, teeth piercing the skin. The blood seemed to urge Tom on even more, his movements becoming sloppy. Tom’s cock curled around Chris’s own and pulsed. Chris tossed his head back and moaned, hissing soon after when Tom’s teeth pulled at his bite. They climaxed together, Tom releasing his teeth from the bite and running his tongue over the marks to soothe.

“Sorry, my love,” he said, pressing soft kisses to the bite and lathing his tongue over it to slow the bleeding and eventually stop it.

Chris felt lighter than he ever had before. Tom urged him onto his back to rest before the Frenzy came upon him again.

“So good to me,” Tom murmured, kissing his cheek. “Rest. We have a moment.”

Chris took the advice and closed his eyes, willing his heart to calm and his body to relax. If he tried hard enough, he could hear snippets of the Song coming from the water. It sounded clearer now since the first night he encountered it. He couldn’t make out words like Tom had said. He could, however, feel the emotions surging from Merfolk nearby. There was so much of it—so much feeling that he was nearly overwhelmed by it. There was anger and love clashing together in a chaotic symphony. There was a part in him that wanted to see it, wanted to see the Frenzy in full force and be a part of it—be a part of that much energy. But that would never be a possibility for him.

It seemed like only a minute had passed before Tom was restless again, calling out for him and spreading his legs open. The slide in was easier this time. Chris still hissed at the soreness, but the pain was overtaken by the sweet, blooming pleasure that occurred whenever Tom struck that spot inside of him. He was a bit gentler this time, not biting but panting and holding Chris’s hands. Perhaps the third round was a bit more tiring to him.

After Chris’s third orgasm, it was fair to say that he was a little worn out for the night. He felt raw and over sensitized, wrung out like a towel. Tom had fucked him thoroughly five times now, filling him with seed until he was leaking heavily and left with drying come over his body. Now all he wanted to do was sleep and rest. He was tired out both physically and mentally, but Tom was still restless, moaning and shifting in the sand behind him. He knew Tom was trying to control himself, knew he was trying to be considerate of Chris’s aches, but the fire in his blood needed to be quenched for him to have his rest.

On the verge of sleep, Tom shuffled up against Chris’s back. “Christopher,” he said with a strained voice. “Christopher, I need you. Please, I need you.”

He felt Tom’s cock—still wet as always—bump up against his ass. “Tom,” he said, unsure if he wanted to move away and deny Tom or simply spread his legs and get this over with.

“Once more, once more,” he said hurriedly. “Please. Just once more, Christopher. That’s all I ask of you.”

Chris closed his eyes and took in a deep, shuddering breath. “All right.”

Trembling, he spread his legs, inviting Tom between them one last time. He was so wet and open that he barely felt the breach and drag of Tom’s cock on his rim. This last fuck was gentler and slower than the frenzied sex they’d been having all night. Tom did nothing more than hold himself up over Chris and rock his hips—in and out, in and out, as sure as the tide. And then he came, staying in longer than he usually did, stooping to kiss the tears off of Chris’s face. He pulled out and rolled off.

“Thank you, Christopher. Thank you.”

He didn’t reply, letting his eyes close. He was vaguely aware of Tom convincing him to move further up onto the beach and wrapping him up in the blankets he had. He felt kisses pressed to his eyelids, the tip of his nose, and finally his forehead.

“Sleep now,” Tom said. “I will see you in the morning.”

Chris slept.

* * *

A few splashes of water upon his face, cool and refreshing, gently woke Chris. He raised a hand and wiped away the droplets of water, opening his eyes and shutting them immediately against the bright sun. When he opened his eyes again, it was to Tom, lying on his stomach with his arms underneath his chin.

“Good morning, Christopher,” he said, leaning forehead to kiss Chris on the forehead. “How did you sleep?”

Chris stretched out on the sand, feeling the various aches and pains all over his body from the trying night. “Well enough, I suppose.  Everything kind of hurts, though.”

“I’m sorry I caused you so much pain.”

“It’s fine. I knew what I was getting myself into. Really. How are you, though?”

Tom smiled. “Very well. Thank you for going through with the Frenzy with me. It’s not exactly the easiest night of my life. If you don’t wish to join me the next night, I understand.”

“I’ll have to think on it.”

“Of course.”

Chris slept again for another hour until his bladder urged him out of the warm cocoon he had been wrapped in all night. He spent the remainder of the day sleeping, washing himself in the water, and lazing around with Tom on the sand. He pampered Chris with small gifts whenever he was napping. Pieces of sea glass, shells, knotted cords that gold and silver medallions hung from. Eventually they slept the late afternoon away, Chris lying on top of Tom whose hands roamed up and down the plane of his back.

“I love your skin,” Tom said absentmindedly. “You’ve become so golden recently. And I love all these little dots on your skin. Like stars.” His fingers tapped on Chris’s freckles, skimming over them until his hands were on his ass.

“They’re called freckles, Tom,” he said. “And you’ve got them, too.” He tapped the tip of Tom’s nose, dusted with lightly coloured freckles that also appeared on his shoulders.

“Irrelevant. I like yours better.” His hands squeezed Chris’s buttocks, sharp nails digging into the skin, causing Chris to slide up on Tom’s chest.

Chris reached back and slapped Tom’s hands away. “Enough of that.”

Tom grinned and pulled his hands away to rest higher up on Chris’s back. “Still sore then, darling?”

“Of course. You fucked me _quite_ thoroughly last night, so I would prefer if you left that part of me alone.”

“Of course, sweetheart. I would never want to hurt you further. You were very good to me last night.” Tom pressed his lips to Chris’s forehead. “Besides, seeing you like this is good enough for me.”

Chris raised his hands and looked down at Tom. “Like what?”

“All sun warmed and glowing. Perfectly content to bare yourself before me as you were born.”

“You’re only saying that ’cause you like to see me naked.”

“That, too.”

Chris groaned and burrowed his face in Tom’s chest as the other laughed.

“Rest, my sweet Christopher. I won’t tease you any longer.”

So Chris slept some more and later that evening he felt good enough to walk, his legs no longer feeling like jelly. He packed up his belongings and the gifts he’d been given from Tom and gave his Mer lover a final farewell kiss.

“When will I see you again?” Tom asked, reluctant to let Chris go after having him in his arms for so long.

“I don’t know. The boats will be docking soon, so I’ll be a bit busy with off season preparations. I’ll let you know, though. ’kay?”

“All right. Until next time.”

“Yes, of course.”

Chris was still a bit sore as he walked home. He took a different, safer route home that was a bit longer than his usual only because he knew it would be less taxing on his body and would include less climbing. He took a shower when he returned home, soaping well between his legs to thoroughly scrub off what he couldn’t with ocean water and sand. He picked up some groceries and cleaned up the apartment for Sheila’s inevitable return.

The fleet had started to come in at noon, and the last of them had trickled in late evening. Sheila’s boat was one of the last to return, and she was not happy when she finally trudged onto the docks.

“There’s a leak in the hull,” she said, shoulders slumped as the crew unloaded the final catch of the season. “It’s a small one, but it’s there. And Chad got himself hurt. Sprained wrist. Two broken fingers. It was just a mess this time around.”

“You made it back in one piece, though,” he said, trying to be supportive even though he knew leaks could mean the end for a boat and possibly its crew. “And if it’s only a small one, it should be an easy fix. We’ll get the boat in the dry docks and take a look at it. It’s not like this hasn’t happened before to other boats.”

“I know, but it’s just that . . . she’s my baby. And she’s not feeling well. I’m probably just making it worse than it sounds. It wasn’t even that much water. Oh, well. Anyway, how are you? I missed you.” She squeezed him around the waist in greeting.

“I missed you, too, but I guess we have each other now for the next while. Let’s go home and I’ll take care of you there.”

“Okay. I just have to run some numbers to Robert and we’ll be good to go. Don’t wait up for me.”

“Mmkay.”

He went back home alone and cooked dinner while Sheila returned shortly and headed straight to the shower for a good half hour. Dinner was a quiet affair, Sheila’s mind clearly on other matters. She went to bed early, leaving Chris to clean up and turn off all the lights and lock the door before he tumbled into bed beside her.

He was happy to have Sheila back with him. He was tired of being alone all the time. At least with her, he would have something to do. She could make him feel useful again, put him to work and let him know that he was still valued and still needed despite the secrets he was keeping.

* * *

His dreams that night were full of water. It pressed down upon him from all sides, encompassing him like a large blanket. He felt weightless, floating in the endless expanse of blue and green, punctuated by streaks of sunlight. He wasn’t drowning in it all. He was living in it, being carried and uplifted by the gentle current. He was a part of it.

Hands shook his shoulders. A voice called out his name. “Chris? Wake up.”

The water disappeared and instead there was nothing by inky blackness. It took him a while to adjust to the lack of light in the bedroom, but Sheila leaned over and turned on the bed side lamp.

“What is it?” he asked. “What time is it?”

“You were dreaming, I think,” she said, pulling back the blankets away from his heated, sweaty skin. “Besides, you’re burning up and you’ve been scratching at yourself.”

Chris rolled onto his back, skin feeling tender around his throat. “Sorry I woke you. Excuse me.”

He walked to the bathroom and took a look at himself in the mirror. There were scratches on his neck, the skin reddened and irritated in long streaks. He swept his hair back, the strands now greasy and separated into chunks. He splashed some water on his face and returned to bed.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Fine. Just a dream, I guess. Probably spent too much time in the sun. I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.”

They settled down on the bed together, curling up on top of the blankets. It was much too hot for them tonight. He cleared his throat, feeling a soreness that lingered there that wasn’t from the scratching. Perhaps he was sick. Perhaps he was . . . something . . .

* * *

Sheila’s boat was taken out of the water and needed repairs to the hull. Chris followed her around, looking at the suddenly large boat that used to be a home to him.

The tickle in his throat was slowly becoming a cough. When he took a closer look at the scratches in his neck, he noticed that they were clustered around the sides of his neck. They didn’t bother him during the day, but he seemed to only scratch them at night when he was asleep. His dreams were still full of water, pulling him further and further into the sea life that surrounded him. Each night Sheila worried over him, asking him if he felt all right and if they should go see the doctor.

“You seem fine during the day,” she said. “It’s just at night that I really worry about you. You toss and turn and moan.”

“If you think I should go, then I’ll go down tomorrow.”

“Thank you. That puts my mind at ease greatly.”

The following day Chris went the doctor’s. Now the doctor of this small village was an older man who could’ve probably retired had he been living in a larger city. But he decided to go out and set up shop in a small village that needed him. His name was Doctor Micah Turnwell and he was the only person the people could go to that homemade remedies couldn’t cure.

His practice was small, holding only three rooms: a consultation area, a private screening area where he kept all his medicines, and a small bathroom to clean up afterwards. It wasn’t much, but it was all they really needed, considering that most women still preferred giving birth at home with a midwife.

He had Chris sit on a plastic chair while he started asking Chris questions of his wellbeing.

“Hello, Christopher. What brings you here today?”

Chris shrugged. “For the past few days, I haven’t been sleeping well. Waking up in sweat and scratching myself.”

Dr. Turnwell gestured to his neck. “Those there, I assume?”

“Yeah.”

“Anywhere else?”

“No. Just my neck.”

“All right. Let’s take a look here.” The doctor leaned forward and tilted Chris’s head to the side to take a look at the deep scratches on one side of his neck. It was to the point where patches were bleeding, three deep lines in the side of his neck that were mirrored on the other side. “How long has this been going on?”

“Only a few days. I’ve been having very lucid dreams as well. Don’t know if that’s important.”

Dr. Turnwell took a look at the other side of his neck and frowned before pulling away to scribble something on his patient chart. “Looks to be an allergic reaction, Christopher. I’ll give you some medication that’ll help with the itching and some cream as well. Hopefully it’ll clear up in a few days.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.”

Sent home with some pills and a pot of cream, Chris went back to the apartment, light with the relief that his condition wasn’t all that serious. He dabbed the ointment onto the scratches in the bathroom, hissing a little as it did sting. After a few minutes, a coolness settled onto the inflamed skin and eased his worries even further that perhaps he had been out in the sun too long with Tom that day. Maybe his body was still healing from the night of the full moon. It was the only explanation as to why this was happening.

“Feeling better now?” Sheila asked.

“Much better,” he replied, and it seemed like things were returning to normal. The boat’s hull was repaired. The clouds rolled in and with them the strong rains familiar with the off season. Just another year.

But while the scratches seemed to heal with the ointment, his dreams remained. Water, water, water. Surrounding him. Comforting him. Pulling him further and further away into its depths with its many secrets. It was always water, and he could never escape it. He never tried to in his dreams. There he saw no reason to. While he was a bit concerned about them, he never made a big deal about them. They were just dreams. They were harmless. Until the water from them started to bleed out into reality.

He woke up one morning in the bathtub, half full of cold water. He sat up, shivering, hair dripping. He unplugged the drain and got out of the tub, taking off his clothes and wrapping a towel around his waist as the water swirled away down the drain. He didn’t tell Sheila about that incident. Perhaps sleep walking was a side effect of the pills he was on. That had to be it, right? As time went on, Chris was starting to think that this was not the case.

Off season weather was more or less cloudy eighty percent of the time. It rained three days a week and the average temperature required light jackets at the most. Chances of getting sun sickness were slim during this time, and yet Chris found himself tired out, sweaty, dried up, and feeling as if there wasn’t enough water in the world to quench his thirst. He spent a lot of his time on the couch or in bed, trying to sleep off whatever affected him.

So Sheila started to worry again. They went to the doctor’s, and Chris was sent home with another dose of pills. Even then the doctor was puzzled about Chris’s condition. He was considering on sending him to a different doctor, but he didn’t want to unless absolutely necessary.

This sickness, this _wrongness_ seemed to settle deep in Chris’s bones. He wanted relief, but had no idea where to find it. He saw himself in the mirror and was shocked to see himself. He looked sick. His skin had taken on and unhealthy pallor, dark circles under his eyes, hair perpetually slicked back with sweat, the scratches even redder than before with Chris often waking up with blood on his fingertips. He was a mess.

His skin felt dried out and tight over bones. It was cracked and peeling in some places, relief only found when he stood under the showerhead. He felt delirious, overheated even though the weather was quite fair and cool. He found himself downing glass after glass of water to extinguish the fire raging inside of him. Nothing could stop it, and he feared that he would be consumed by it.

Dr. Turnwell made a home visit at Sheila’s request. He looked over Chris’s form, noting his lethargy and sickly hue. He took a blood sample that would be sent to the nearest lab for clearer results. He gave him some antibiotics, but other than that, Chris’s condition puzzled him.

“If he gets worse, bring him to my clinic. We can start him on an IV drip and apply cold compresses to try and bring down his temperature. Until then, keep him hydrated and keep him cool.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Sheila said. “I’ll do my best.”

She returned to Chris, who lay on the couch with ice packs around him to keep him cool. They weren’t working.

“Chris,” she said, stroking his cheek as lightly as she could.

He mumbled, eyelids fluttering as he sought out a cool place. He felt like he was going to die.

With no energy to move, he slept on the couch that night, Sheila taking up space on the floor to stay close to him. It was a restless sleep. He kept waking, blinking up at the spinning ceiling above him before he was dragged into another dream under the waves.

The heat was stifling in the room. Chris sought out relief, leaving the bed and dragging himself to the bathroom where he filled up the bath tub with lukewarm water. He took off his clothes and sunk down into the soothing embrace of water.

_That’s better._

* * *

When Sheila had no choice but to leave for business, Chris would soak in water for hours. The scratches in his neck were becoming alarming. He looked at them closely, and with a sense of disturbing familiarity he thought that they looked like gills. Three deep lines on either side of his neck that weren’t like normal scratches. The cut skin seemed to hang over the indentation ever so slightly.

It scared him. He needed answers, and there was only one person who could give them to him.

He left the apartment at night when he was sure Sheila was asleep. He knew he couldn’t make it to the Bay in his current conditions. So he went to the docks, where a concrete slope had been built for small boats to be launched into the water and taken out with ease. He submerged himself in knee deep water before lying back on the sloped piece of concrete. No one would be out this late, so he assumed he would be safe.

He called out to Tom with a whisper, sighing as the water lapped over him. Tom was upon him in mere minutes, sensing his distress instantly. He took Chris in his arms as Chris shook, throat thick with anxiety.

“Something’s wrong with me,” he said, hiding his face in Tom’s neck. “I feel like I’m dying.”

He needed reassurance, needed to hear Tom’s comforting words. Maybe he knew what was wrong with Chris. Maybe he knew how to fix this all.

But Tom was silent. He hadn’t said a word since he arrived. Chris pulled away and looked up at him, searching his face for a reason for the silence. But he saw nothing. Tom’s face was slack, devoid of anything.

“Tom,” he said, hating how high and needy his voice sounded. “Tom, please. I’m scared. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Please, help.”

 _Then_ Tom’s façade broke as he surged forth and kissed Chris on the cheek, holding him close once more. “Oh, Chris. I know this must be a scary time for you. The Change is for anyone. But I _swear_ to you that you will be fine. This is nothing for you to worry about.”

“Wh-what do you mean? What change? I don’t understand.”

Tom frowned, a look of pity flitting across his features. “You really don’t know, do you?”

Chris shook his head. “What is it?”

“I thought your mother would’ve told you by now.”

“Told me what? Tom, what’s wrong with me?”

“There is nothing wrong with you.” He pushed back Chris’s hair, comforting him with touch and soft murmurs. “You are fine, but I don’t know if I should be the one telling you this. You need to talk to your mother, Christopher. She will have all the answers for you.”

“Can you just tell me what’s wrong with me?” He sniffed, tears of frustration clouding his eyes. “Just tell me, and I swear I’ll go to my mom and ask her for the truth.”

“If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“Okay. The reason why you’re like this is because you’re what my people and all other sea creatures call a Changling or a Half-Breed. You’re half Mer, Chris. And your body is changing.”

* * *

Chris didn’t know what he was expecting when he got Tom to answer his question. He thought maybe it was a strange, rare disease that he had, contracted from some bacteria in the water. But to know he was only half-human and half-Mer was something else.

He got out of the water as soon as Tom told him. Pieces of his life were starting to make sense now. The reason why his mother worried so much about his whereabouts was because she didn’t want him to disappear, to discover his Half-Blood nature and leave her behind. Why he could hear the Song and was pulled off of the boat that one night. Why Tom could hear it _in_ him when he shouldn’t be able to considering it was a sea creatures’ only thing.

“How long have you known?” he asked, back turned to Tom because he found it easier to ask like this than to face Tom directly.

“I had suspicions when I first met you,” Tom replied. “I didn’t think much of it when I tasted the sea in your blood. I thought it was a mistake at first. But as I grew closer to you, I kept noticing signs: your father’s ring, the Song in your heart, why others wish to take you from me. I should’ve told you something. I should’ve told you my suspicions. But I was . . . scared.”

At that, Chris turned. “Scared of what?”

“Scared that you would leave me. That you would want nothing to do with me after what you realized what was inside of you. It’s not every day a human wishes to converse with me, let alone be in a relationship with me. You already have your doubts about our relationship, and I was so scared that I would lose you forever. Even if you promised to return if I needed you, I just couldn’t let that be.”

“What triggered the change then?”

“I think it was the Frenzy. I overwhelmed you with my true nature and the nature of my people. I should’ve told you before. I shouldn’t have involved you, but I did. And because of that you are changing.”

Chris was hurt to hear Tom’s confession. He was hurt because _Tom knew._ He knew and he didn’t tell Chris and now he was changing into something he was taught to fear and hate his entire life.

“I want you to leave,” he said, sliding away from Tom.

“Chris—”

“No. I can’t be around you right now. You decided not to tell me and because of that I’m scared for my life. If anyone here figures out what I really am, I will be run out of town. I will be locked up. I’ll be studied. Why didn’t you tell me when you had the chance? You’ve known me since I was sixteen. You’ve had almost six years to tell me and you haven’t! Why did you do this to me?”

Tom looked down, ashamed, and didn’t reply.

“ANSWER ME!”

“I was scared!” Tom’s head snapped up, a red flush creeping over his cheeks in frustration. “I was scared you would leave me. I was selfish and scared and wanted you only for myself. I’ve lost too many lovers like this before, and when I met you, I thought that finally I could have you forever. That you would stay with me.”

“That was never you decision to make, Tom.” Having enough, Chris stood and turned, intending on leaving Tom here until he could figure out what to do.

Tom jumped forward and seized Chris’s wrist before he could wake away. “Please, don’t leave me like this, Christopher,” he pleaded. “Please.”

Chris shook his head. “Not now. I’ve had enough.” He walked away without another word, and Tom didn’t call out for him or beg him to return. He simply let Chris go.

He knew where he had to go after this. He couldn’t return to Sheila. She couldn’t help him anymore. This was something else entirely.

By the time he arrived, he was exhausted and overheated, forehead dotted with sweat. He knocked on the door, fully aware of what time of night it was. Leaning against the door for support, he nearly fell over the threshold when it opened.

“Christopher!” The tired sigh was one of relief and worry. Thin arms wrapped around his waist, supporting him as he was walked into the house and to the bathroom, where he was stripped of his wet clothing and set in a half filled tub of cool, refreshing water.

He closed his eyes when sure and familiar fingers swept back his hair and soothed him. He felt tears prickle behind his eyelids. He opened them again and looked up at her, at his mother Evelynn, whom he avoided for five years.

“I’m sorry,” he rasped. “I was angry. I was stupid. I shouldn’t have left. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, baby,” Evelynn said, shushing him and wetting a cloth of his face and neck. “I should’ve told you everything. But it’s okay now. I’ll take care of you now. Just relax here, okay?”

He nodded, sinking further into the water as his mother left his side to fetch him something to drink. She stayed by his side for most the night, only returning to bed at Chris’s request.

“We’ll talk tomorrow,” she said, cupping his cheek tenderly before pressing a kiss to his forehead and lingering there before she left the bathroom and returned to her bedroom.

After soaking for an entire night, Chris felt much better come morning. He was well enough to get to his feet and head into the kitchen. Evelynn was already busy making breakfast, smiling when she saw Chris and seated him at the small breakfast table.

It was as if the last five years hadn’t occurred and left a rift between them. They had breakfast together but said little. Evelynn laid her hand on top of his and squeezed. He had been forgiven. He squeezed back.

He helped her clean up breakfast, opting to wash while she dried. It didn’t take long. It never did with just the two of them.

“How are you feeling?” she asked.

“Better,” he replied. “I feel less like I’m going to fall apart now.”

“That’s good. It’s important for you to stay hydrated right now before the Change.” She touched the side of his neck just lightly to see the new forming gills. She winced at the sight of the raw and flaky skin.

“How much do you know about this?”

“Almost everything. Sit down with me. I’ll start the story from the beginning.”

They sat down at the kitchen table with hot tea, and Chris didn’t know if he was excited or nervous to learn about his life. A bit of both perhaps from the way his stomach was noting up.

“Your father,” Evelynn started and then stopped. She had a faraway look on her face, distracted by memories. “I met him when I was seventeen,” she continued. “He wasn’t a mean creature like I thought Merfolk were. He went by the name Danny. He was very kind. He would leave me gifts every night, things he thought I would like. It was very sweet.

“We kept our relationship a secret. The people of my home town had a very hostile relationship with sea creatures. They weren’t as peaceful with them as this town is. There was often a lot of violence during the fishing season. We didn’t live in harmony with each other, but when I met him, I didn’t see a monster. I saw a lovely man who was sweet and shy and wanted to shower me in affection. He claimed me, said I was the only one for him.” She swept back her hair and touched the faint scar on her shoulder. Chris’s own hand went to his mark, and he saw his mother smile.

“I loved the feeling of being connected to him. There was nothing else like it. I could always feel him, sense him in a way that always made me feel warm and alive. It was something thrilling. And then one day I became pregnant with you, and that’s when it all started to change.

“I knew my family would never approve of the relationship. Danny knew it, too, so we started thinking of a plan. We would leave the area together and find a quiet place on the shore side where we could raise you together and be a family. But before that could happen, a group of people showed up to town, and I knew they were bad news.

“They hunted sea creatures. They killed them for the fun of it and to keep sailors safe on the water. When they killed a sea creature, they set it up in a way that was taken as a warning to others. Their methods were crude and horrible. I was so scared that they would find out about me and Danny and you. We made plans to leave as soon as we could. I gathered my things in secret. Danny had found a spot that we would travel to and start our new life together. But before we could leave, that brutal death squad ruined our plans.

“They found Danny. They killed him, strung him up, and celebrated his death. I was so scared that they would find out about me and you and that they would take you from me. So I ran. I took the things I had packed and ran away one night. They already took Danny from me, and I was not going to let them take you as well.

“I came here a few months later. No one questioned me or ostracized me. They gave me a home and helped me out. They never asked where I came from or who the father was. They helped me, and I was very grateful. Five months later I gave birth to you.” Evelynn paused and gave a short laugh and a hiccupped sob. She brushed the tears away from her face and looked at Chris so lovingly. “You were such a sweet and happy boy. Everyone fawned over you and wanted to hold you. You looked so much like Danny. Those blue eyes and your wide smile. I just couldn’t believe it.

“Before Danny passed, he explained to me the nature of Half-Breed children. The longer you spent around Merfolk, the more likely you would change. He said you would be a Shapeshifter and be able to change skins at will. But without him there to show you, I was so scared whenever you went by the water. I kept a close eye on you at all times. I never wanted you to go to the Bay or get friendly with sea creatures because I was so scared that you’d find out about your other side and leave me. Or if someone from the town found out about you and chased us away. I don’t know! I was so scared that I would end up alone.”

“Mom,” Chris said. “You don’t have to say anything else. I get it now. I do.”

Evelynn shook her head, hand coming up to cover her mouth. “But if I had just been truthful with you from the start, then none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t have chased you away in the first place.” She crumpled in her seat, resting her head in her hands.

Chris gently took her by the shoulders. “We both made mistakes. But we’re here now, so let’s just put it all behind us. It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m sorry I left like that.”

“I’m sorry, too, baby.”

They embraced, comfortable in each other’s arms once more before they were disturbed by a loud knock at the door. Evelynn stood up and answered it.

“Evelynn, thank God!” It was Sheila, distraught, no doubt, because of Chris’s disappearance. “I can’t seem to find Chris. He was with me last night, but this morning—”

“It’s all right,” Evelynn assured her. “Chris is with me. He’s safe.”

“Oh, thank God! Can I see him?”

“Of course. Come on in.”

Sheila entered the house and sighed at the sight of Chris. She sat down at the table and reached for his hands. “Chris, I was so worried about you.”

“I know. And I’m sorry for leaving you like that. I just got freaked out is all.”

“But are you feeling better?” Her eyes flicked over his face. “You look better.”

“I feel a bit better, yeah. No need to worry.”

“Well, this morning when I found you gone, I thought you went to see Dr. Turnwell. While I was there, he said he got your blood tests back. We can go down and get them now, if you want.”

The blood tests. Right. He didn’t know if should go down to see Dr. Turnwell. The man might’ve found something out about his Half-Blood nature. And that didn’t sit well with Chris considering he didn’t know how people in this town would react to him now. The results were meaningless to him now.

“I’ll go talk to Dr. Turnwell,” Evelynn cut in. “Besides, Chris shouldn’t do anything strenuous today. You stay here, Chris. I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you.”

“I’ll see you later.”

Evelynn left the house, and now Chris felt like he had a big choice to make. He could no longer deny his Half-Blood nature. The Change was going to happen whether he wanted it to or not. He had to decide if he wanted to stay here with the people he had known all his life, or if he wanted to go off and live with Tom. Now that he understood, he wasn’t so scared anymore.

“Sheila,” he said, folding his hands together. “There’s something I need to tell you.”

She took it better than expected. It wasn’t exactly the easiest thing to explain, but he managed and in the end she understood. Although, she did seem disappointed, her brow furrowing.

“I guess that explains a lot,” she said after he finished.

“Yeah. I guess it does.”

“Now that you know what— _who_ you are, what do you plan on doing? I mean, any sailor who finds this out won’t have you on their boat. You know that.”

Chris nodded. It was something he had to accept; that he would never have the life he always thought he would. “Honestly, I think it’s better for me this way. I’ve been extremely restless recently. Like I want to travel and explore and see the world, but I never knew how. Now I have an option.”

“Have you made your decision then?”

“I guess I have, yeah.”

“I better get going then. I just wish it didn’t have to end this way.”

Chris linked their hands together. “I wish it didn’t either. But things have never really gone my way. Ever. I want to thank you for the support and the understanding. I really didn’t know how you were going to take this.”

Sheila laughed to cut the tension, shrugging her shoulders. “Well, I always knew there was something special about you. Now I actually know what it is. Take care of yourself out there, Chris.”

“Thanks. I mean it.”

“I know.”

* * *

Saying goodbye to Sheila was easier than expected. Perhaps their relationship had never been that strong to begin with. He thought he was content with what he had, but it seemed as if it wasn’t good enough for him anymore. He wanted something else.

His mother returned later and told him she settled the matter with Dr. Turnwell. For a kooky doctor, he certainly was an understanding and compassionate one. He understood the situation entirely and decided to just let it lie. As long as Chris was okay, the information would be kept quiet.

In the afternoon, Chris soaked in the tub until dinner time. While he still felt raw in certain places, it was better than before. He no longer felt angry and confused about what to do any longer. What he really wanted now was to see Tom.

At dinner that night, Evelynn asked Chris who the Mer was that had claimed her son.

“How did you two meet?”

“It wasn’t a great first meeting, I’ll say that,” he admitted. “It was actually a terrible first meeting. I absolutely hated him at first. But he left me alone after that, sensing that I needed time and needed to grow up a bit. I still hated him when we met, but he changed, I changed. We suddenly became closer. He protected me, tried to keep me safe. His name is Tom, and I guess I do like him. I feel like he could show me things and give me what I really want. He’s a bit of a jerk sometimes.” He laughed. “Bit stubborn and needy, but when it comes down to just us? He’s wonderful. He wants to see me happy and safe. I feel . . . I feel good around him.”

Evelynn smiled at him, knowing what he was talking about. “Can I meet him?”

Chris nodded. He knew what he wanted now.

* * *

Chris took his mother to Downfall Bay where he knew they would have the privacy to see Tom. He took her to the rocky pool where he and Tom had spent so many hours together. After they had arrived, he called out to Tom through their bond.

 _Really?_ Tom asked. _You wish to see me?_

_Of course. Come to me. I want you to meet someone_

When Tom arrived, he approached them in a timid manner, moving slowly towards them with none of his usual confidence. He was shy and wary, wondering if Chris would let him come back into his life.

“Tom, I want you to meet someone,” he said, holding out his hand to the Mer. Tom took it and pushed himself out of the water to sit on the edge of the pool. “This is my mother, Evelynn. Mom, this is Tom.”

“Hello, Tom.”

“Hello, Evelynn. It’s very nice to meet you.” He spoke quietly and gently, sounding every inch a polite and refined man trying to please.

“It’s very nice to meet you as well. I finally get to meet the one who’s been keeping an eye out for my boy here. Thank you.”

Tom ducked his head and blushed. “It was nothing. But I should apologize, for I know I am not the greatest person in the world. I never meant to cause strife between you and your son. But I swear to you that I will do whatever it takes to keep him safe. I will never hurt him or leave him. To do so would mean the end of my life.”

“Don’t worry, Tom,” Evelynn said. “We’ve all made mistakes and we’ve all made up for them. I just want you to take care of my Christopher when he changes. He’ll need someone to look after him. Can you do that for me?”

“Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

* * *

Tom and Evelynn hit it right off without any animosity between the two. Chris sat in the pool, for once content with his life and his choice.

“What happens now then?” Evelynn asked. “Danny never had the chance to explain in full details what would happen when Chris would change.”

“Oh,” Tom said, blinking down at Chris and looking over his gills and flaking, constantly dry skin. “Well, with Half-Breeds like Christopher, I will take him into the water. After he has given his Final Breath, he will be transformed. I will stay by his side at all times. He will never be alone. And when he wakes, he will be like me.” He smiled at the end, resting a hand on Chris’s shoulder.

“How soon will this have to be?”

“Soon. Any longer and he will dry up and wither away. If you wish to make preparations and leaving your life here, Christopher, now will be the time.”

Chris nodded and covered Tom’s hand with his own. He would have to change or accept the fact that he was going to die. He wasn’t stupid. He knew what he was going to choose.

* * *

 

“When Danny—my dad died,” Chris asked his mother, “what happened?” He was asking out of curiosity and for his own sake in case Tom ever did die.

“It felt like a light had gone out inside of me.” She pressed a hand to her chest. “One minute I could feel him, he was there, and then the next he was gone. Just like that. It was so quick and so effortless. It felt like he had never been there before. Like our bond meant nothing. But you shouldn’t worry about that,” she said, patting his hand. “Enjoy the time you have now and don’t focus on the what-ifs.”

He took his mother’s advice to heart. What would happen would happen. There was no stopping anything.

It was an odd warm day of the off season that Chris decided to walk down to the Bay with his mother. She said she wanted to see him off and see him well for peace of mind. Tom was already waiting for them in the surf, waving at them from where he was propped up on his elbows.

“I’ll be right here,” she said. “And I won’t go anywhere until I know you’re safe, all right.”

“Yes, mom.” He stopped to hug her hard. “I love you.”

Taken aback, Evelynn stood frozen for a moment before raising her arms around his waist. “I love you, too, sweetheart. Now go on. Go to Tom. I don’t think he can wait around much longer.”

A few more seconds together and Chris was ready to go. This might be the last time he saw his mother. Or it might not be. He had no control over it.

Tom eagerly pulled him into the water, holding him up and supporting him as the water got deeper. The water was a bit colder than he would like, but it wouldn’t matter in the end.

“I am sorry,” Tom said, now that they had a proper minute alone. “I was selfish in keeping information from you. I promise I’ll no longer keep secrets from you. I don’t want to give you any reason to distrust me.”

“It’s all right, Tom. Really. I’m over it now. Now kiss me.”

Tom obliged and kissed him there, cupping his cheek and stealing his breath as he had always done.

“My life is in your hands now,” Chris said. “You know that.”

“I do. And I will take care of you. This is something I have wanted my entire life.”

Tom took him further into the water to a point where he would have to dive down to touch the silty bottom. It worried Chris a bit that this was happening. He felt better than he ever had before, surrounded by so much water and with a Mer who had a claim on his soul and he in return had a claim as well.

He was peaceful when he dove under the water. He was calm as Tom coiled around him, wrapping him up in his tail tightly. He began to panic when his air ran out and his lungs began to burn. But Tom was there, a gentle presence around him and within him.

_It’s all right, Chris. There is nothing to be afraid of_

The gentle touch of fingers against his cheeks prompted him to open his eyes. Tom smiled softly and set a hand against the back of his head, gently guiding their lips together.

With their lips sealed together and Chris’s vision turning to black, he found it very fitting that Tom was the one to take his Final Breath away.

* * *

Sounds and smells were sharper. Movements in the water both near and far rippled against his skin, alerting him to the presence of many things nearby. When he opened his eyes, it was first to the sight of a long and sleek silver tail. A flash of sharp red caught his attention, and he whirled to face him. His mate. His lover. His Tom.

Chris surged forth fluidly and tangled with Tom, coiling their tails together and swirling around in the water. He laughed and pulled away from Tom, eyes dropping to look once more at his tail, admiring the way the scales shimmered from the sun rays above him and the way it moved and twisted. With a powerful swish, he swam up to the surface of the water and broke through. Brushing the water from his eyes, he felt his gills, the skin fluttering under his careful touch.

Tom surfaced next to him, smiling and laughing in complete content. “I knew you would make it. How does it feel?”

“Incredible! I can’t describe it. I feel like I’m . . . free. Freer than I’ve ever felt before. I wonder if this is what flying is like.”

“Mm, well don’t fly away too far, darling. I think someone is very eager to see you.”

He took Chris by the shoulders and turned him to face the shore where one person sat in the sand, waving her arms when she spotted the both of them.

“Care to join me?” he asked, taking up Tom’s hand.

“I would love to.”

Together they swam towards the shore, hand in hand and giddy in the knowledge that whatever happened from here on out, they would have each other. Against all odds they had made it, and Chris was determined to keep what finally made him happy and made his life worth living for.

**Author's Note:**

> I am tired out by this fic. I hope it worked out. I appreciate any comments/feedback you may have. You can also find me on my [tumblr](http://mjolnir-s-master.tumblr.com/) if you'd like to speak more directly.
> 
> Until next time then!


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